Is Mel Stottlemyre #261 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 7 copies of Mel Stottlemyre #261 sell for $10.50, only $9.62 above the $0.88 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($7.25) 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)
- $0.88
- Grade 7
- $10.50
- PSA 9
- $7.25
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 7 | $10.50 | −$15.38 | −$40.38 | −$140 |
| PSA 9 | $7.25 | −$18.63 | −$43.63 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $0.88 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% | $8.06 | −$42.82 |
| 50% | $8.88 | −$42.01 |
| 75% | $9.69 | −$41.19 |
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 Mel Stottlemyre #261 — FAQ
Is Mel Stottlemyre #261 worth grading?
Grade 7 copies of Mel Stottlemyre #261 sell for $10.50, only $9.62 above the $0.88 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($7.25) 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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