Is Chuck Cottier #252 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1969 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Chuck Cottier #252 sells for $66.53 against $1.31 raw: a $65.22 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.32) 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)
- $1.31
- Grade 9.5
- $66.53
- PSA 9
- $50.32
- Gem premium
- 51×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $66.53 | +$40.22 | +$15.22 | −$84.78 |
| PSA 9 | $50.32 | +$24.01 | −$0.99 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $19.46 | −$6.85 | −$31.85 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.31 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% | $54.37 | +$3.06 |
| 50% | $58.42 | +$7.11 |
| 75% | $62.48 | +$11.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Chuck Cottier #252 — FAQ
Is Chuck Cottier #252 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Chuck Cottier #252 sells for $66.53 against $1.31 raw: a $65.22 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.32) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Chuck Cottier #252 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Chuck Cottier #252 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.32).
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