Is Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 sells for $57.00 against $5.99 raw: a $51.01 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.87) 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)
- $5.99
- Grade 9.5
- $57.00
- PSA 9
- $51.87
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $57.00 | +$26.01 | +$1.01 | −$98.99 |
| PSA 9 | $51.87 | +$20.88 | −$4.12 | −$104 |
Net = sale price − $5.99 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% | $53.15 | −$2.84 |
| 50% | $54.44 | −$1.55 |
| 75% | $55.72 | −$0.27 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 80%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 — FAQ
Is Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 sells for $57.00 against $5.99 raw: a $51.01 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.87) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Molitor [Refractor] #279 breaks even when it gems about 80% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $51.87).
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