Is Chet Lemon #309 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1980 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Chet Lemon #309 sells for $58.00 against $0.99 raw: a $57.01 spread, 59× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.62) 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
- $58.00
- PSA 9
- $52.62
- Gem premium
- 59×
- 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 | $58.00 | +$32.01 | +$7.01 | −$92.99 |
| PSA 9 | $52.62 | +$26.63 | +$1.63 | −$98.37 |
| PSA 8 | $4.75 | −$21.24 | −$46.24 | −$146 |
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% | $53.96 | +$2.97 |
| 50% | $55.31 | +$4.32 |
| 75% | $56.66 | +$5.66 |
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 Chet Lemon #309 — FAQ
Is Chet Lemon #309 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Chet Lemon #309 sells for $58.00 against $0.99 raw: a $57.01 spread, 59× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.62) 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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