Is Jay Johnstone #226 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1977 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Jay Johnstone #226 sells for $45.00 against $1.74 raw: a $43.26 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.61) 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)
- $1.74
- Grade 9.5
- $45.00
- PSA 9
- $40.61
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $45.00 | +$18.26 | −$6.74 | −$107 |
| PSA 9 | $40.61 | +$13.87 | −$11.13 | −$111 |
Net = sale price − $1.74 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% | $41.71 | −$10.03 |
| 50% | $42.80 | −$8.94 |
| 75% | $43.90 | −$7.84 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Jay Johnstone #226 — FAQ
Is Jay Johnstone #226 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Jay Johnstone #226 sells for $45.00 against $1.74 raw: a $43.26 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.61) 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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