Is Sam McDowell #9 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 Sam McDowell #9 sells for $608 against $23.39 raw: a $585 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($553) 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)
- $23.39
- Grade 9.5
- $608
- PSA 9
- $553
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $608 | +$560 | +$535 | +$435 |
| PSA 9 | $553 | +$505 | +$480 | +$380 |
Net = sale price − $23.39 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% | $567 | +$493 |
| 50% | $581 | +$507 |
| 75% | $594 | +$521 |
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 Sam McDowell #9 — FAQ
Is Sam McDowell #9 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Sam McDowell #9 sells for $608 against $23.39 raw: a $585 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($553) 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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