Is Mike Trout [Nickname] #169 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Heritage · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Mike Trout [Nickname] #169 sells for $99.00 against $57.30 raw: a $41.70 spread, 1.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($90.26) 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): $57.30
Grade 9.5: $99.00
PSA 9: $90.26
Gem premium: 1.7×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Mike Trout [Nickname] #169: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$99.00	+$16.70	−$8.30	−$108
PSA 9	$90.26	+$7.96	−$17.04	−$117

Net = sale price − $57.30 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?

Mike Trout [Nickname] #169: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$92.45	−$14.85
50%	$94.63	−$12.67
75%	$96.81	−$10.48

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Mike Trout [Nickname] #169 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$99.00
9	$90.26

Run your own numbers

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