Is Josh Gibson #8 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 Josh Gibson #8 sells for $3,762 against $939 raw: a $2,823 spread, 4.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,420) 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)
- $939
- Grade 9.5
- $3,762
- PSA 9
- $3,420
- Gem premium
- 4.0×
- 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 | $3,762 | +$2,798 | +$2,773 | +$2,673 |
| PSA 9 | $3,420 | +$2,456 | +$2,431 | +$2,331 |
| PSA 8 | $3,109 | +$2,145 | +$2,120 | +$2,020 |
Net = sale price − $939 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% | $3,506 | +$2,517 |
| 50% | $3,591 | +$2,602 |
| 75% | $3,677 | +$2,688 |
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 Josh Gibson #8 — FAQ
Is Josh Gibson #8 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Josh Gibson #8 sells for $3,762 against $939 raw: a $2,823 spread, 4.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,420) 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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