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Is David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 2009 Topps Chrome · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 sells for $193 against $138 raw: a $55.50 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($176) 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)
$138
Grade 9.5
$193
PSA 9
$176
Gem premium
1.4×
As of
Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5$193+$30.50+$5.50−$94.50
PSA 9$176+$13.00−$12.00−$112
PSA 8$70.00−$92.50−$118−$218

Net = sale price − $138 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?

David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$180−$7.63
50%$184−$3.25
75%$189+$1.13

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 69%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.

David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$193
9$176
8$70.00

Run your own numbers

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Grading David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 — FAQ

Is David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 worth grading?

A Grade 9.5 David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 sells for $193 against $138 raw: a $55.50 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($176) 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 David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Freese [Blue Refractor Autograph] #230 breaks even when it gems about 69% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $176).

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