Is Jose Contreras [Gold Refractor] #102 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2003 Topps Pristine · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Jose Contreras [Gold Refractor] #102 sell for $11.00, only $0.00 above the $17.31 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.02) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $17.31
- Grade 9.5
- $11.00
- PSA 9
- $10.02
- Gem premium
- 0.6×
- 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 | $11.00 | −$31.31 | −$56.31 | −$156 |
| PSA 9 | $10.02 | −$32.29 | −$57.29 | −$157 |
Net = sale price − $17.31 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% | $10.27 | −$57.05 |
| 50% | $10.51 | −$56.80 |
| 75% | $10.75 | −$56.55 |
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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Other 2003 Topps Pristine cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Jose Contreras [Gold Refractor] #102 — FAQ
Is Jose Contreras [Gold Refractor] #102 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Jose Contreras [Gold Refractor] #102 sell for $11.00, only $0.00 above the $17.31 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.02) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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