Is Phil Niekro [Hand Cut] #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1976 Hostess · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Phil Niekro [Hand Cut] #3 sells for $109 against $4.95 raw: a $104 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.00) 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)
- $4.95
- Grade 9.5
- $109
- PSA 9
- $99.00
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $109 | +$79.05 | +$54.05 | −$45.95 |
| PSA 9 | $99.00 | +$69.05 | +$44.05 | −$55.95 |
Net = sale price − $4.95 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% | $102 | +$46.55 |
| 50% | $104 | +$49.05 |
| 75% | $107 | +$51.55 |
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 1976 Hostess cards worth checking
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![Tony Oliva [Hand Cut] #10 1976 Hostess card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CJkAAeSwA9FqdMp2/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Phil Niekro [Hand Cut] #3 — FAQ
Is Phil Niekro [Hand Cut] #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Phil Niekro [Hand Cut] #3 sells for $109 against $4.95 raw: a $104 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.00) 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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