Is Russ Martin [Black Refractor] #278 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2006 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Russ Martin [Black Refractor] #278 sell for $4.00, only $0.01 above the $3.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.85) 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)
- $3.99
- Grade 9.5
- $4.00
- PSA 9
- $3.85
- Gem premium
- 1.0×
- 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 | $4.00 | −$24.99 | −$49.99 | −$150 |
| PSA 9 | $3.85 | −$25.14 | −$50.14 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $3.99 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% | $3.89 | −$50.10 |
| 50% | $3.92 | −$50.06 |
| 75% | $3.96 | −$50.03 |
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 Russ Martin [Black Refractor] #278 — FAQ
Is Russ Martin [Black Refractor] #278 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Russ Martin [Black Refractor] #278 sell for $4.00, only $0.01 above the $3.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.85) 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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