Is Mike Piazza [Mirror Blue] #30 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Select Certified · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Mike Piazza [Mirror Blue] #30 sell for $82.00, only $0.00 above the $900 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($74.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $900
- Grade 9.5
- $82.00
- PSA 9
- $74.50
- Gem premium
- 0.1×
- 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 | $82.00 | −$843 | −$868 | −$968 |
| PSA 9 | $74.50 | −$850 | −$875 | −$975 |
Net = sale price − $900 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% | $76.38 | −$874 |
| 50% | $78.25 | −$872 |
| 75% | $80.13 | −$870 |
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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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 Mike Piazza [Mirror Blue] #30 — FAQ
Is Mike Piazza [Mirror Blue] #30 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Mike Piazza [Mirror Blue] #30 sell for $82.00, only $0.00 above the $900 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($74.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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