Is Eddie Mathews #157 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 TCMA Baseball History Series · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Eddie Mathews #157 sell for $9.00, only $6.00 above the $3.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.11) 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)
- $3.00
- Grade 9.5
- $9.00
- PSA 9
- $8.11
- Gem premium
- 3.0×
- 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 | $9.00 | −$19.00 | −$44.00 | −$144 |
| PSA 9 | $8.11 | −$19.89 | −$44.89 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $3.00 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% | $8.33 | −$44.67 |
| 50% | $8.55 | −$44.45 |
| 75% | $8.78 | −$44.22 |
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 Eddie Mathews #157 — FAQ
Is Eddie Mathews #157 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Eddie Mathews #157 sell for $9.00, only $6.00 above the $3.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.11) 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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