Is Chet Lemon #86 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Chet Lemon #86 sell for $12.00, only $10.83 above the $1.17 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.24) 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)
- $1.17
- Grade 9.5
- $12.00
- PSA 9
- $11.24
- Gem premium
- 10×
- 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 | $12.00 | −$14.17 | −$39.17 | −$139 |
| PSA 9 | $11.24 | −$14.93 | −$39.93 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.17 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% | $11.43 | −$39.74 |
| 50% | $11.62 | −$39.55 |
| 75% | $11.81 | −$39.36 |
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 Chet Lemon #86 — FAQ
Is Chet Lemon #86 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Chet Lemon #86 sell for $12.00, only $10.83 above the $1.17 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.24) 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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