![Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rYMAAOSwJEBmqsqM/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 sells for $177 against $120 raw: a $57.00 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($161) 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)
- $120
- Grade 9.5
- $177
- PSA 9
- $161
- Gem premium
- 1.5×
- 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 | $177 | +$32.00 | +$7.00 | −$93.00 |
| PSA 9 | $161 | +$15.55 | −$9.45 | −$109 |
| PSA 8 | $100 | −$45.00 | −$70.00 | −$170 |
Net = sale price − $120 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% | $165 | −$5.34 |
| 50% | $169 | −$1.22 |
| 75% | $173 | +$2.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 57%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 — FAQ
Is Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 sells for $177 against $120 raw: a $57.00 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($161) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #8 breaks even when it gems about 57% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $161).
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