Is John Butcher #71 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Leaf · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 John Butcher #71 sells for $43.00 against $0.71 raw: a $42.29 spread, 61× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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)
- $0.71
- Grade 9.5
- $43.00
- PSA 9
- $39.00
- Gem premium
- 61×
- 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 | $43.00 | +$17.29 | −$7.71 | −$108 |
| PSA 9 | $39.00 | +$13.29 | −$11.71 | −$112 |
| PSA 8 | $3.25 | −$22.46 | −$47.46 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $0.71 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% | $40.00 | −$10.71 |
| 50% | $41.00 | −$9.71 |
| 75% | $42.00 | −$8.71 |
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 John Butcher #71 — FAQ
Is John Butcher #71 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 John Butcher #71 sells for $43.00 against $0.71 raw: a $42.29 spread, 61× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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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