Is Wally Ritchie #494 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Wally Ritchie #494 sell for $15.00, only $13.65 above the $1.35 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.42) 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)
- $1.35
- Grade 9.5
- $15.00
- PSA 9
- $13.42
- 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 | $15.00 | −$11.35 | −$36.35 | −$136 |
| PSA 9 | $13.42 | −$12.93 | −$37.93 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.35 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% | $13.81 | −$37.53 |
| 50% | $14.21 | −$37.14 |
| 75% | $14.61 | −$36.74 |
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 Wally Ritchie #494 — FAQ
Is Wally Ritchie #494 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Wally Ritchie #494 sell for $15.00, only $13.65 above the $1.35 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.42) 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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