Is Bill Swift #399 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bill Swift #399 sells for $29.00 against $1.02 raw: a $27.98 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.24) 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)
- $1.02
- Grade 9.5
- $29.00
- PSA 9
- $26.24
- Gem premium
- 28×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $29.00 | +$2.98 | −$22.02 | −$122 |
| PSA 9 | $26.24 | +$0.22 | −$24.78 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $8.29 | −$17.73 | −$42.73 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.02 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% | $26.93 | −$24.09 |
| 50% | $27.62 | −$23.40 |
| 75% | $28.31 | −$22.71 |
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 Bill Swift #399 — FAQ
Is Bill Swift #399 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Swift #399 sells for $29.00 against $1.02 raw: a $27.98 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.24) 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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