Is Lou Gehrig worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Hygrade All Time Greats · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Lou Gehrig sells for $56.00 against $1.74 raw: a $54.26 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.00) 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)
- $1.74
- Grade 9.5
- $56.00
- PSA 9
- $51.00
- Gem premium
- 32×
- 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 | $56.00 | +$29.26 | +$4.26 | −$95.74 |
| PSA 9 | $51.00 | +$24.26 | −$0.74 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $45.99 | +$19.25 | −$5.75 | −$106 |
Net = sale price − $1.74 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% | $52.25 | +$0.51 |
| 50% | $53.50 | +$1.76 |
| 75% | $54.75 | +$3.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Full set checklist →Grading Lou Gehrig — FAQ
Is Lou Gehrig worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Lou Gehrig sells for $56.00 against $1.74 raw: a $54.26 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.00) 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 Lou Gehrig break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lou Gehrig breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $51.00).
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