Is Cardinals Field Leaders #497 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1973 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Cardinals Field Leaders #497 sells for $228 against $1.90 raw: a $226 spread, 120× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($208) 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)
- $1.90
- Grade 9.5
- $228
- PSA 9
- $208
- Gem premium
- 120×
- 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 | $228 | +$201 | +$176 | +$76.10 |
| PSA 9 | $208 | +$181 | +$156 | +$55.60 |
| PSA 8 | $17.93 | −$8.97 | −$33.97 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.90 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% | $213 | +$161 |
| 50% | $218 | +$166 |
| 75% | $223 | +$171 |
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 Cardinals Field Leaders #497 — FAQ
Is Cardinals Field Leaders #497 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Cardinals Field Leaders #497 sells for $228 against $1.90 raw: a $226 spread, 120× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($208) 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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