Is Edgar Martinez #297 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Edgar Martinez #297 sells for $80.00 against $4.41 raw: a $75.59 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.60) 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)
- $4.41
- Grade 9.5
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $72.60
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $80.00 | +$50.59 | +$25.59 | −$74.41 |
| PSA 9 | $72.60 | +$43.19 | +$18.19 | −$81.81 |
| PSA 8 | $41.06 | +$11.65 | −$13.35 | −$113 |
Net = sale price − $4.41 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% | $74.45 | +$20.04 |
| 50% | $76.30 | +$21.89 |
| 75% | $78.15 | +$23.74 |
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 Edgar Martinez #297 — FAQ
Is Edgar Martinez #297 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Edgar Martinez #297 sells for $80.00 against $4.41 raw: a $75.59 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.60) 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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