Is Sparky Anderson #156 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 Sparky Anderson #156 sells for $165 against $2.99 raw: a $162 spread, 55× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($150) 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)
- $2.99
- Grade 9.5
- $165
- PSA 9
- $150
- Gem premium
- 55×
- 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 | $165 | +$137 | +$112 | +$12.01 |
| PSA 9 | $150 | +$122 | +$97.00 | −$3.00 |
| PSA 8 | $18.11 | −$9.88 | −$34.88 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $154 | +$101 |
| 50% | $157 | +$105 |
| 75% | $161 | +$108 |
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 Sparky Anderson #156 — FAQ
Is Sparky Anderson #156 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Sparky Anderson #156 sells for $165 against $2.99 raw: a $162 spread, 55× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($150) 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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