Is Rick Burleson #52 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps Stickers · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Rick Burleson #52 sell for $5.00, only $3.64 above the $1.36 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($4.80) 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)
- $1.36
- Grade 9.5
- $5.00
- PSA 9
- $4.80
- Gem premium
- 3.7×
- 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 | $5.00 | −$21.36 | −$46.36 | −$146 |
| PSA 9 | $4.80 | −$21.56 | −$46.56 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.36 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% | $4.85 | −$46.51 |
| 50% | $4.90 | −$46.46 |
| 75% | $4.95 | −$46.41 |
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 Rick Burleson #52 — FAQ
Is Rick Burleson #52 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Rick Burleson #52 sell for $5.00, only $3.64 above the $1.36 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($4.80) 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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