Is Lou Piniella #86T worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Lou Piniella #86T sell for $27.00, only $23.82 above the $3.18 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($24.35) 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)
- $3.18
- Grade 9.5
- $27.00
- PSA 9
- $24.35
- Gem premium
- 8.5×
- 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 | $27.00 | −$1.18 | −$26.18 | −$126 |
| PSA 9 | $24.35 | −$3.83 | −$28.83 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $21.95 | −$6.23 | −$31.23 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $3.18 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% | $25.01 | −$28.17 |
| 50% | $25.68 | −$27.50 |
| 75% | $26.34 | −$26.84 |
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 Lou Piniella #86T — FAQ
Is Lou Piniella #86T worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Lou Piniella #86T sell for $27.00, only $23.82 above the $3.18 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($24.35) 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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