Is Carl Pavano / Gil Meche / Kerry Wood [Minted in Cooperstown] #256 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Carl Pavano / Gil Meche / Kerry Wood [Minted in Cooperstown] #256 sell for $25.00, only $22.57 above the $2.43 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($23.00) 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)
- $2.43
- Grade 9.5
- $25.00
- PSA 9
- $23.00
- Gem premium
- 10×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $25.00 | −$2.43 | −$27.43 | −$127 |
| PSA 9 | $23.00 | −$4.43 | −$29.43 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$12.44 | −$37.44 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $2.43 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% | $23.50 | −$28.93 |
| 50% | $24.00 | −$28.43 |
| 75% | $24.50 | −$27.93 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Carl Pavano / Gil Meche / Kerry Wood [Minted in Cooperstown] #256 — FAQ
Is Carl Pavano / Gil Meche / Kerry Wood [Minted in Cooperstown] #256 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Carl Pavano / Gil Meche / Kerry Wood [Minted in Cooperstown] #256 sell for $25.00, only $22.57 above the $2.43 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($23.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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