Is Greg Maddux #26 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Gallery · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Greg Maddux #26 sell for $13.00, only $11.35 above the $1.65 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM): $1.65
Grade 9.5: $13.00
PSA 9: $12.00
Gem premium: 7.9×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Greg Maddux #26: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$13.00	−$13.65	−$38.65	−$139
PSA 9	$12.00	−$14.65	−$39.65	−$140
PSA 8	$11.08	−$15.57	−$40.57	−$141

Net = sale price − $1.65 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?

Greg Maddux #26: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$12.25	−$39.40
50%	$12.50	−$39.15
75%	$12.75	−$38.90

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Greg Maddux #26 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$13.00
9	$12.00
8	$11.08

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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

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