Is Art Howe #53T worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Topps Traded · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Art Howe #53T sell for $7.00, only $5.35 above the $1.65 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($6.01) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.65
- Grade 9.5
- $7.00
- PSA 9
- $6.01
- Gem premium
- 4.2×
- 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 | $7.00 | −$19.65 | −$44.65 | −$145 |
| PSA 9 | $6.01 | −$20.64 | −$45.64 | −$146 |
| PSA 8 | $0.72 | −$25.93 | −$50.93 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $1.65 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% | $6.26 | −$45.39 |
| 50% | $6.50 | −$45.14 |
| 75% | $6.75 | −$44.90 |
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 Art Howe #53T — FAQ
Is Art Howe #53T worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Art Howe #53T sell for $7.00, only $5.35 above the $1.65 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($6.01) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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