Is Rickey Henderson #51 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Stickercard · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Rickey Henderson #51 sells for $110 against $2.99 raw: a $107 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.95) 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)
- $2.99
- Grade 9.5
- $110
- PSA 9
- $99.95
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 | $110 | +$82.01 | +$57.01 | −$42.99 |
| PSA 9 | $99.95 | +$71.96 | +$46.96 | −$53.04 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$3.00 | −$28.00 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $102 | +$49.47 |
| 50% | $105 | +$51.98 |
| 75% | $107 | +$54.50 |
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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Grading Rickey Henderson #51 — FAQ
Is Rickey Henderson #51 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Rickey Henderson #51 sells for $110 against $2.99 raw: a $107 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.95) 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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