Is Larry Bird #5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1984 Star Larry Bird · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Larry Bird #5 sells for $450 against $15.50 raw: a $435 spread, 29× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($252) 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)
- $15.50
- Grade 9.5
- $450
- PSA 9
- $252
- Gem premium
- 29×
- 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 | $450 | +$410 | +$385 | +$285 |
| PSA 9 | $252 | +$212 | +$187 | +$86.58 |
| PSA 8 | $74.35 | +$33.85 | +$8.85 | −$91.15 |
Net = sale price − $15.50 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% | $302 | +$236 |
| 50% | $351 | +$286 |
| 75% | $401 | +$335 |
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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Other 1984 Star Larry Bird cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Larry Bird #5 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Larry Bird #5 sells for $450 against $15.50 raw: a $435 spread, 29× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($252) 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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