Is David Cone #265 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss Aqueous Test · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 David Cone #265 sells for $156 against $47.95 raw: a $108 spread, 3.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($142) 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)
- $47.95
- Grade 9.5
- $156
- PSA 9
- $142
- Gem premium
- 3.3×
- 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 | $156 | +$83.05 | +$58.05 | −$41.95 |
| PSA 9 | $142 | +$69.05 | +$44.05 | −$55.95 |
| PSA 8 | $140 | +$67.04 | +$42.04 | −$57.96 |
Net = sale price − $47.95 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% | $146 | +$47.55 |
| 50% | $149 | +$51.05 |
| 75% | $153 | +$54.55 |
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 David Cone #265 — FAQ
Is David Cone #265 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 David Cone #265 sells for $156 against $47.95 raw: a $108 spread, 3.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($142) 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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