Is Babe Ruth #2 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1980 Laughlin 300/400/500 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Babe Ruth #2 sells for $52.00 against $8.00 raw: a $44.00 spread, 6.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.46) 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)
- $8.00
- Grade 9.5
- $52.00
- PSA 9
- $47.46
- Gem premium
- 6.5×
- 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 | $52.00 | +$19.00 | −$6.00 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $47.46 | +$14.46 | −$10.54 | −$111 |
| PSA 8 | $17.50 | −$15.50 | −$40.50 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $8.00 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% | $48.59 | −$9.41 |
| 50% | $49.73 | −$8.27 |
| 75% | $50.87 | −$7.13 |
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 Babe Ruth #2 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #2 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Babe Ruth #2 sells for $52.00 against $8.00 raw: a $44.00 spread, 6.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.46) 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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