Is Cal Ripken Jr. worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Milton Bradley · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Cal Ripken Jr. sells for $62.00 against $2.26 raw: a $59.74 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($56.16) 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)
- $2.26
- Grade 9.5
- $62.00
- PSA 9
- $56.16
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $62.00 | +$34.74 | +$9.74 | −$90.26 |
| PSA 9 | $56.16 | +$28.90 | +$3.90 | −$96.10 |
Net = sale price − $2.26 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% | $57.62 | +$5.36 |
| 50% | $59.08 | +$6.82 |
| 75% | $60.54 | +$8.28 |
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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Other 1984 Milton Bradley cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Cal Ripken Jr. — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Cal Ripken Jr. sells for $62.00 against $2.26 raw: a $59.74 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($56.16) 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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