Is Mike Trout [Black] #SMLB-1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2022 Topps Stars of MLB · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Mike Trout [Black] #SMLB-1 sell for $62.00, only $0.00 above the $119 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($56.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $119
- Grade 9.5
- $62.00
- PSA 9
- $56.00
- Gem premium
- 0.5×
- 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 | $62.00 | −$82.11 | −$107 | −$207 |
| PSA 9 | $56.00 | −$88.11 | −$113 | −$213 |
Net = sale price − $119 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% | $57.50 | −$112 |
| 50% | $59.00 | −$110 |
| 75% | $60.50 | −$109 |
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 Mike Trout [Black] #SMLB-1 — FAQ
Is Mike Trout [Black] #SMLB-1 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Mike Trout [Black] #SMLB-1 sell for $62.00, only $0.00 above the $119 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($56.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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