Is Lou Piniella #18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Burger King Yankees · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Lou Piniella #18 sell for $24.00, only $22.01 above the $1.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($22.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.99
- Grade 9.5
- $24.00
- PSA 9
- $22.00
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $24.00 | −$2.99 | −$27.99 | −$128 |
| PSA 9 | $22.00 | −$4.99 | −$29.99 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $19.95 | −$7.04 | −$32.04 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $22.50 | −$29.49 |
| 50% | $23.00 | −$28.99 |
| 75% | $23.50 | −$28.49 |
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 Lou Piniella #18 — FAQ
Is Lou Piniella #18 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Lou Piniella #18 sell for $24.00, only $22.01 above the $1.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($22.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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