Is Willie Mays #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1971 Milk Duds Complete Box · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays #1 sells for $4,180 against $275 raw: a $3,905 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,800) 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)
- $275
- Grade 9.5
- $4,180
- PSA 9
- $3,800
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $4,180 | +$3,880 | +$3,855 | +$3,755 |
| PSA 9 | $3,800 | +$3,500 | +$3,475 | +$3,375 |
Net = sale price − $275 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% | $3,895 | +$3,570 |
| 50% | $3,990 | +$3,665 |
| 75% | $4,085 | +$3,760 |
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 #1 — FAQ
Is Willie Mays #1 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays #1 sells for $4,180 against $275 raw: a $3,905 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,800) 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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