Is Joe Smith #H4 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Spx Holoview Heroes · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Smith #H4 sells for $55.00 against $2.44 raw: a $52.56 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.00) 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)
- $2.44
- Grade 9.5
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $50.00
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 | $55.00 | +$27.56 | +$2.56 | −$97.44 |
| PSA 9 | $50.00 | +$22.56 | −$2.44 | −$102 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$2.45 | −$27.45 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $2.44 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% | $51.25 | −$1.19 |
| 50% | $52.50 | +$0.06 |
| 75% | $53.75 | +$1.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Joe Smith #H4 — FAQ
Is Joe Smith #H4 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Smith #H4 sells for $55.00 against $2.44 raw: a $52.56 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Joe Smith #H4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Smith #H4 breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.00).
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