Is Jimmy Key #231 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss Aqueous Test · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Jimmy Key #231 sells for $110 against $37.95 raw: a $72.05 spread, 2.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.99) 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)
- $37.95
- Grade 9.5
- $110
- PSA 9
- $99.99
- Gem premium
- 2.9×
- 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 | $110 | +$47.05 | +$22.05 | −$77.95 |
| PSA 9 | $99.99 | +$37.04 | +$12.04 | −$87.96 |
Net = sale price − $37.95 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% | $102 | +$14.54 |
| 50% | $105 | +$17.05 |
| 75% | $107 | +$19.55 |
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 1990 Donruss Aqueous Test cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Jimmy Key #231 — FAQ
Is Jimmy Key #231 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Jimmy Key #231 sells for $110 against $37.95 raw: a $72.05 spread, 2.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.99) 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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