Is Lonnie Smith #69 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Lonnie Smith #69 sell for $6.00, only $5.01 above the $0.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($5.72) 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)
- $0.99
- Grade 9.5
- $6.00
- PSA 9
- $5.72
- Gem premium
- 6.1×
- 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 | $6.00 | −$19.99 | −$44.99 | −$145 |
| PSA 9 | $5.72 | −$20.27 | −$45.27 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $0.99 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% | $5.79 | −$45.20 |
| 50% | $5.86 | −$45.13 |
| 75% | $5.93 | −$45.06 |
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 Lonnie Smith #69 — FAQ
Is Lonnie Smith #69 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Lonnie Smith #69 sell for $6.00, only $5.01 above the $0.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($5.72) 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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