Is Duane Ward #45 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Leaf · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Duane Ward #45 sell for $15.00, only $13.15 above the $1.85 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.19) 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)
- $1.85
- Grade 9.5
- $15.00
- PSA 9
- $13.19
- Gem premium
- 8.1×
- 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 | $15.00 | −$11.85 | −$36.85 | −$137 |
| PSA 9 | $13.19 | −$13.66 | −$38.66 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.85 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% | $13.64 | −$38.21 |
| 50% | $14.09 | −$37.76 |
| 75% | $14.55 | −$37.30 |
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 Duane Ward #45 — FAQ
Is Duane Ward #45 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Duane Ward #45 sell for $15.00, only $13.15 above the $1.85 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.19) 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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