Is Elston Howard worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1964 Wheaties Stamps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Elston Howard sells for $101 against $8.59 raw: a $92.41 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($91.36) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $8.59
- Grade 9.5
- $101
- PSA 9
- $91.36
- Gem premium
- 12×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $101 | +$67.41 | +$42.41 | −$57.59 |
| PSA 9 | $91.36 | +$57.77 | +$32.77 | −$67.23 |
Net = sale price − $8.59 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $93.77 | +$35.18 |
| 50% | $96.18 | +$37.59 |
| 75% | $98.59 | +$40.00 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $101 |
| 9 | $91.36 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Elston Howard — FAQ
Is Elston Howard worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Elston Howard sells for $101 against $8.59 raw: a $92.41 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($91.36) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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