Is Al Downing #105 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1968 Topps Milton Bradley · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Al Downing #105 sells for $125 against $3.25 raw: a $122 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($114) 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)
- $3.25
- Grade 9.5
- $125
- PSA 9
- $114
- Gem premium
- 38×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $125 | +$96.75 | +$71.75 | −$28.25 |
| PSA 9 | $114 | +$85.25 | +$60.25 | −$39.75 |
| PSA 8 | $87.94 | +$59.69 | +$34.69 | −$65.31 |
Net = sale price − $3.25 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% | $116 | +$63.13 |
| 50% | $119 | +$66.00 |
| 75% | $122 | +$68.88 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Al Downing #105 — FAQ
Is Al Downing #105 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Al Downing #105 sells for $125 against $3.25 raw: a $122 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($114) 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.
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