Is Harold Baines #88 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Topps Ljn Baseball Talk · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Harold Baines #88 sells for $73.00 against $1.97 raw: a $71.03 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($66.00) 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)
- $1.97
- Grade 9.5
- $73.00
- PSA 9
- $66.00
- Gem premium
- 37×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $73.00 | +$46.03 | +$21.03 | −$78.97 |
| PSA 9 | $66.00 | +$39.03 | +$14.03 | −$85.97 |
| PSA 8 | $59.95 | +$32.98 | +$7.98 | −$92.02 |
Net = sale price − $1.97 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% | $67.75 | +$15.78 |
| 50% | $69.50 | +$17.53 |
| 75% | $71.25 | +$19.28 |
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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Other 1989 Topps Ljn Baseball Talk cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Harold Baines #88 — FAQ
Is Harold Baines #88 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Harold Baines #88 sells for $73.00 against $1.97 raw: a $71.03 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($66.00) 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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