Is Steve Howe #159 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Steve Howe #159 sell for $20.00, only $18.41 above the $1.59 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($18.50) 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)
- $1.59
- Grade 9.5
- $20.00
- PSA 9
- $18.50
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $20.00 | −$6.59 | −$31.59 | −$132 |
| PSA 9 | $18.50 | −$8.09 | −$33.09 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $11.55 | −$15.04 | −$40.04 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.59 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% | $18.88 | −$32.72 |
| 50% | $19.25 | −$32.34 |
| 75% | $19.63 | −$31.96 |
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 Steve Howe #159 — FAQ
Is Steve Howe #159 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Steve Howe #159 sell for $20.00, only $18.41 above the $1.59 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($18.50) 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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