Is Earnie Riles #88 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Earnie Riles #88 sell for $17.00, only $15.51 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.04) 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)
- $1.49
- Grade 9.5
- $17.00
- PSA 9
- $15.04
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $17.00 | −$9.49 | −$34.49 | −$134 |
| PSA 9 | $15.04 | −$11.45 | −$36.45 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $15.53 | −$35.96 |
| 50% | $16.02 | −$35.47 |
| 75% | $16.51 | −$34.98 |
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 #88 — FAQ
Is Earnie Riles #88 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Earnie Riles #88 sell for $17.00, only $15.51 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.04) 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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