Is Earnie Riles #398 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Earnie Riles #398 sells for $33.00 against $1.27 raw: a $31.73 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $1.27
- Grade 9.5
- $33.00
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $33.00 | +$6.73 | −$18.27 | −$118 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | +$3.72 | −$21.28 | −$121 |
| PSA 8 | $4.95 | −$21.32 | −$46.32 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.27 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% | $30.74 | −$20.53 |
| 50% | $31.49 | −$19.78 |
| 75% | $32.25 | −$19.02 |
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 Earnie Riles #398 — FAQ
Is Earnie Riles #398 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Earnie Riles #398 sells for $33.00 against $1.27 raw: a $31.73 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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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