Is John Beckwith #6 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Laughlin Old Time Black Stars · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 John Beckwith #6 sells for $256 against $37.92 raw: a $218 spread, 6.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($233) 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)
- $37.92
- Grade 9.5
- $256
- PSA 9
- $233
- Gem premium
- 6.8×
- 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 | $256 | +$193 | +$168 | +$68.08 |
| PSA 9 | $233 | +$170 | +$145 | +$45.22 |
| PSA 8 | $118 | +$54.58 | +$29.58 | −$70.42 |
Net = sale price − $37.92 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% | $239 | +$151 |
| 50% | $245 | +$157 |
| 75% | $250 | +$162 |
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 John Beckwith #6 — FAQ
Is John Beckwith #6 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 John Beckwith #6 sells for $256 against $37.92 raw: a $218 spread, 6.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($233) 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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