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Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?

Is Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 sells for $88.00 against $8.50 raw: a $79.50 spread, 10× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($79.95) 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)
$8.50
Grade 9.5
$88.00
PSA 9
$79.95
Gem premium
10×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Alan Benes [Refractor] #78: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5$88.00+$54.50+$29.50−$70.50
PSA 9$79.95+$46.45+$21.45−$78.55
PSA 8$37.50+$4.00−$21.00−$121

Net = sale price − $8.50 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?

Alan Benes [Refractor] #78: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$81.96+$23.46
50%$83.97+$25.47
75%$85.99+$27.49

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$88.00
9$79.95
8$37.50
7$12.50

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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Grading Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 — FAQ

Is Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 worth grading?

A Grade 9.5 Alan Benes [Refractor] #78 sells for $88.00 against $8.50 raw: a $79.50 spread, 10× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($79.95) 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.

Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?

Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.

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