Is Claude Osteen #297 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1972 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Claude Osteen #297 sells for $107 against $3.02 raw: a $104 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96.96) 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)
- $3.02
- Grade 9.5
- $107
- PSA 9
- $96.96
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $107 | +$78.98 | +$53.98 | −$46.02 |
| PSA 9 | $96.96 | +$68.94 | +$43.94 | −$56.06 |
Net = sale price − $3.02 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% | $99.47 | +$46.45 |
| 50% | $102 | +$48.96 |
| 75% | $104 | +$51.47 |
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 Claude Osteen #297 — FAQ
Is Claude Osteen #297 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Claude Osteen #297 sells for $107 against $3.02 raw: a $104 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96.96) 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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