Is Carlos Lee [Refractor] #AE23 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome All Etch · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Carlos Lee [Refractor] #AE23 sell for $6.00, only $2.50 above the $3.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($5.13) 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)
- $3.50
- Grade 9.5
- $6.00
- PSA 9
- $5.13
- Gem premium
- 1.7×
- 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 | $6.00 | −$22.50 | −$47.50 | −$148 |
| PSA 9 | $5.13 | −$23.37 | −$48.37 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $3.50 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% | $5.35 | −$48.15 |
| 50% | $5.56 | −$47.94 |
| 75% | $5.78 | −$47.72 |
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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps Chrome All Etch cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Greg Vaughn [Refractor] #AE4 1999 Topps Chrome All Etch card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/54UAAeSwnQFpqazB/s-l500.jpg)
![Jose Canseco [Refractor] #AE7 1999 Topps Chrome All Etch card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HN0AAeSwVNZqQu98/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Carlos Lee [Refractor] #AE23 — FAQ
Is Carlos Lee [Refractor] #AE23 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Carlos Lee [Refractor] #AE23 sell for $6.00, only $2.50 above the $3.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($5.13) 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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