Is Hal Lanier #181 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1971 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Hal Lanier #181 sells for $266 against $1.38 raw: a $265 spread, 193× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($242) 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)
- $1.38
- Grade 9.5
- $266
- PSA 9
- $242
- Gem premium
- 193×
- 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 | $266 | +$240 | +$215 | +$115 |
| PSA 9 | $242 | +$216 | +$191 | +$90.62 |
| PSA 8 | $220 | +$194 | +$169 | +$68.62 |
Net = sale price − $1.38 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% | $248 | +$197 |
| 50% | $254 | +$203 |
| 75% | $260 | +$209 |
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 Hal Lanier #181 — FAQ
Is Hal Lanier #181 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Hal Lanier #181 sells for $266 against $1.38 raw: a $265 spread, 193× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($242) 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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