Is Bob Welch #118 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bob Welch #118 sells for $63.00 against $1.39 raw: a $61.61 spread, 45× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.17) 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)
- $1.39
- Grade 9.5
- $63.00
- PSA 9
- $57.17
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $63.00 | +$36.61 | +$11.61 | −$88.39 |
| PSA 9 | $57.17 | +$30.78 | +$5.78 | −$94.22 |
| PSA 8 | $2.62 | −$23.77 | −$48.77 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $1.39 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% | $58.63 | +$7.24 |
| 50% | $60.09 | +$8.70 |
| 75% | $61.54 | +$10.15 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Bob Welch #118 — FAQ
Is Bob Welch #118 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bob Welch #118 sells for $63.00 against $1.39 raw: a $61.61 spread, 45× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.17) 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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