Is Albert Belle [Mirror Blue] #22 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Select Certified · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Albert Belle [Mirror Blue] #22 sells for $141 against $13.77 raw: a $127 spread, 10× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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)
- $13.77
- Grade 9.5
- $141
- PSA 9
- $128
- Gem premium
- 10×
- 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 | $141 | +$102 | +$77.23 | −$22.77 |
| PSA 9 | $128 | +$89.23 | +$64.23 | −$35.77 |
| PSA 8 | $117 | +$77.96 | +$52.96 | −$47.04 |
Net = sale price − $13.77 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% | $131 | +$67.48 |
| 50% | $135 | +$70.73 |
| 75% | $138 | +$73.98 |
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 1996 Select Certified cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Alex Rodriguez [Mirror Gold] #6 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wDQAAeSw7OFqna4O/s-l500.jpg)
![Randy Johnson [Mirror Gold] #17 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MWsAAOSwlXlnBdnV/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Albert Belle [Mirror Blue] #22 — FAQ
Is Albert Belle [Mirror Blue] #22 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Albert Belle [Mirror Blue] #22 sells for $141 against $13.77 raw: a $127 spread, 10× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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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