Is Alex Ochoa [Refractor] #133 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Alex Ochoa [Refractor] #133 sells for $94.00 against $8.83 raw: a $85.17 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($85.00) 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)
- $8.83
- Grade 9.5
- $94.00
- PSA 9
- $85.00
- Gem premium
- 11×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $94.00 | +$60.17 | +$35.17 | −$64.83 |
| PSA 9 | $85.00 | +$51.17 | +$26.17 | −$73.83 |
| PSA 8 | $29.99 | −$3.84 | −$28.84 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $8.83 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% | $87.25 | +$28.42 |
| 50% | $89.50 | +$30.67 |
| 75% | $91.75 | +$32.92 |
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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Grading Alex Ochoa [Refractor] #133 — FAQ
Is Alex Ochoa [Refractor] #133 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Alex Ochoa [Refractor] #133 sells for $94.00 against $8.83 raw: a $85.17 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($85.00) 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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