Is Willie Mays worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1969 Topps Stamps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays sells for $80.00 against $10.26 raw: a $69.74 spread, 7.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.70) 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)
- $10.26
- Grade 9.5
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $72.70
- Gem premium
- 7.8×
- 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 | $80.00 | +$44.74 | +$19.74 | −$80.26 |
| PSA 9 | $72.70 | +$37.44 | +$12.44 | −$87.56 |
Net = sale price − $10.26 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% | $74.53 | +$14.27 |
| 50% | $76.35 | +$16.09 |
| 75% | $78.17 | +$17.91 |
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 Willie Mays — FAQ
Is Willie Mays worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays sells for $80.00 against $10.26 raw: a $69.74 spread, 7.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.70) 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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