Is Lonnie Smith #222 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss Aqueous Test · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Lonnie Smith #222 sells for $103 against $0.25 raw: a $103 spread, 412× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($93.63) 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)
- $0.25
- Grade 9.5
- $103
- PSA 9
- $93.63
- Gem premium
- 412×
- 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 | $103 | +$77.75 | +$52.75 | −$47.25 |
| PSA 9 | $93.63 | +$68.38 | +$43.38 | −$56.62 |
| PSA 8 | $64.99 | +$39.74 | +$14.74 | −$85.26 |
Net = sale price − $0.25 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% | $95.97 | +$45.72 |
| 50% | $98.31 | +$48.06 |
| 75% | $101 | +$50.41 |
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 Lonnie Smith #222 — FAQ
Is Lonnie Smith #222 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Lonnie Smith #222 sells for $103 against $0.25 raw: a $103 spread, 412× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($93.63) 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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