Is Juan Samuel #28 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Topps Super · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Juan Samuel #28 sell for $25.00, only $23.13 above the $1.87 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($22.49) 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)
- $1.87
- Grade 9.5
- $25.00
- PSA 9
- $22.49
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $25.00 | −$1.87 | −$26.87 | −$127 |
| PSA 9 | $22.49 | −$4.38 | −$29.38 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $1.87 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% | $23.12 | −$28.75 |
| 50% | $23.74 | −$28.13 |
| 75% | $24.37 | −$27.50 |
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 Juan Samuel #28 — FAQ
Is Juan Samuel #28 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Juan Samuel #28 sell for $25.00, only $23.13 above the $1.87 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($22.49) 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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