Is Phil Niekro #138 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Leaf · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Phil Niekro #138 sell for $18.00, only $16.31 above the $1.69 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($16.25) 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)
- $1.69
- Grade 9.5
- $18.00
- PSA 9
- $16.25
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $18.00 | −$8.69 | −$33.69 | −$134 |
| PSA 9 | $16.25 | −$10.44 | −$35.44 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.70 | −$41.70 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.69 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% | $16.69 | −$35.00 |
| 50% | $17.13 | −$34.56 |
| 75% | $17.56 | −$34.13 |
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 Phil Niekro #138 — FAQ
Is Phil Niekro #138 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Phil Niekro #138 sell for $18.00, only $16.31 above the $1.69 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($16.25) 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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