![Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 (Baseball Cards 2005 Topps) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LBcAAeSwZohp1UJS/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2005 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 sells for $253 against $182 raw: a $71.14 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($230) 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)
- $182
- Grade 9.5
- $253
- PSA 9
- $230
- Gem premium
- 1.4×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $253 | +$46.14 | +$21.14 | −$78.86 |
| PSA 9 | $230 | +$23.54 | −$1.46 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $135 | −$71.86 | −$96.86 | −$197 |
Net = sale price − $182 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% | $236 | +$4.19 |
| 50% | $242 | +$9.84 |
| 75% | $247 | +$15.49 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $253 |
| 9 | $230 |
| 8 | $135 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 sells for $253 against $182 raw: a $71.14 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($230) 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey Jr. [Black] #440 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $230).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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