Is Buster Posey [Gold Refractor] #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2011 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Buster Posey [Gold Refractor] #3 sells for $100 against $38.66 raw: a $61.34 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($91.00) 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)
- $38.66
- Grade 9.5
- $100
- PSA 9
- $91.00
- Gem premium
- 2.6×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $100 | +$36.34 | +$11.34 | −$88.66 |
| PSA 9 | $91.00 | +$27.34 | +$2.34 | −$97.66 |
Net = sale price − $38.66 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% | $93.25 | +$4.59 |
| 50% | $95.50 | +$6.84 |
| 75% | $97.75 | +$9.09 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Buster Posey [Gold Refractor] #3 — FAQ
Is Buster Posey [Gold Refractor] #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Buster Posey [Gold Refractor] #3 sells for $100 against $38.66 raw: a $61.34 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($91.00) 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.
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