![1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Mantle Finest) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oAAAAeSwNlxqSlsR/s-l1600.jpg)
Is 1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Mantle Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 sells for $87.00 against $7.99 raw: a $79.01 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($78.85) 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)
- $7.99
- Grade 9.5
- $87.00
- PSA 9
- $78.85
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $87.00 | +$54.01 | +$29.01 | −$70.99 |
| PSA 9 | $78.85 | +$45.86 | +$20.86 | −$79.14 |
| PSA 8 | $20.36 | −$12.63 | −$37.63 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $7.99 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% | $80.89 | +$22.90 |
| 50% | $82.92 | +$24.94 |
| 75% | $84.96 | +$26.97 |
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 Topps Mantle Finest cards worth checking
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![1967 Topps Reprint [w/ Coating] #17 1996 Topps Mantle Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1NkAAeSwuPVorjtP/s-l500.jpg)
![1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor] #5 1996 Topps Mantle Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vm0AAeSwOKhqY-7C/s-l500.jpg)
![1952 Topps Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #2 1996 Topps Mantle Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cEcAAOSwsFxjPwem/s-l500.jpg)
![1952 Topps Reprint [Refractor] #2 1996 Topps Mantle Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7rwAAeSw8fBqaluI/s-l500.jpg)
![1951 Bowman Reprint [Refractor] #1 1996 Topps Mantle Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Th4AAeSwYrtqcCOA/s-l500.jpg)
Grading 1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 — FAQ
Is 1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 1955 Bowman Reprint [Refractor,w/ Coating] #5 sells for $87.00 against $7.99 raw: a $79.01 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($78.85) 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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