Is Brian Downing #246 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1977 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Brian Downing #246 sells for $73.00 against $1.44 raw: a $71.56 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($66.00) 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)
- $1.44
- Grade 9.5
- $73.00
- PSA 9
- $66.00
- Gem premium
- 51×
- 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 | $73.00 | +$46.56 | +$21.56 | −$78.44 |
| PSA 9 | $66.00 | +$39.56 | +$14.56 | −$85.44 |
| PSA 8 | $5.50 | −$20.94 | −$45.94 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.44 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% | $67.75 | +$16.31 |
| 50% | $69.50 | +$18.06 |
| 75% | $71.25 | +$19.81 |
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 Brian Downing #246 — FAQ
Is Brian Downing #246 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Brian Downing #246 sells for $73.00 against $1.44 raw: a $71.56 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($66.00) 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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