Is Ichiro #51 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Opening Day · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ichiro #51 sells for $41.00 against $1.38 raw: a $39.62 spread, 30× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.39) 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)
- $1.38
- Grade 9.5
- $41.00
- PSA 9
- $37.39
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $41.00 | +$14.62 | −$10.38 | −$110 |
| PSA 9 | $37.39 | +$11.01 | −$13.99 | −$114 |
| PSA 8 | $8.36 | −$18.02 | −$43.02 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.38 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% | $38.29 | −$13.09 |
| 50% | $39.20 | −$12.19 |
| 75% | $40.10 | −$11.28 |
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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Full set checklist →Grading Ichiro #51 — FAQ
Is Ichiro #51 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ichiro #51 sells for $41.00 against $1.38 raw: a $39.62 spread, 30× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.39) 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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