Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Series 2] #81 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Score Dugout Collection · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Cal Ripken Jr. [Series 2] #81 sell for $13.00, only $11.35 above the $1.65 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.65
- Grade 9.5
- $13.00
- PSA 9
- $11.99
- Gem premium
- 7.9×
- 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 | $13.00 | −$13.65 | −$38.65 | −$139 |
| PSA 9 | $11.99 | −$14.66 | −$39.66 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.65 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% | $12.24 | −$39.41 |
| 50% | $12.50 | −$39.16 |
| 75% | $12.75 | −$38.90 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Cal Ripken Jr. [Series 2] #81 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Series 2] #81 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Cal Ripken Jr. [Series 2] #81 sell for $13.00, only $11.35 above the $1.65 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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