Is Tug McGraw #163 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1972 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Tug McGraw #163 sells for $58.00 against $2.80 raw: a $55.20 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.89) 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)
- $2.80
- Grade 9.5
- $58.00
- PSA 9
- $52.89
- Gem premium
- 21×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $58.00 | +$30.20 | +$5.20 | −$94.80 |
| PSA 9 | $52.89 | +$25.09 | +$0.09 | −$99.91 |
Net = sale price − $2.80 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% | $54.17 | +$1.37 |
| 50% | $55.45 | +$2.65 |
| 75% | $56.72 | +$3.92 |
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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Other 1972 O Pee Chee cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Tug McGraw #163 — FAQ
Is Tug McGraw #163 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Tug McGraw #163 sells for $58.00 against $2.80 raw: a $55.20 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.89) 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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