Is Bill Buckner [Hand Cut] #46 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Hostess · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bill Buckner [Hand Cut] #46 sells for $77.00 against $0.99 raw: a $76.01 spread, 78× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.73) 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)
- $0.99
- Grade 9.5
- $77.00
- PSA 9
- $69.73
- Gem premium
- 78×
- 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 | $77.00 | +$51.01 | +$26.01 | −$73.99 |
| PSA 9 | $69.73 | +$43.74 | +$18.74 | −$81.26 |
| PSA 8 | $27.00 | +$1.01 | −$23.99 | −$124 |
Net = sale price − $0.99 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% | $71.55 | +$20.56 |
| 50% | $73.37 | +$22.38 |
| 75% | $75.18 | +$24.19 |
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 Bill Buckner [Hand Cut] #46 — FAQ
Is Bill Buckner [Hand Cut] #46 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Buckner [Hand Cut] #46 sells for $77.00 against $0.99 raw: a $76.01 spread, 78× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.73) 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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