Is Pittsburgh Steelers [The Play Begins to...] #43 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1984 Fleer Team Action · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Pittsburgh Steelers [The Play Begins to...] #43 sell for $5.00, only $3.01 above the $1.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($4.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.99
- Grade 9.5
- $5.00
- PSA 9
- $4.25
- Gem premium
- 2.5×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $5.00 | −$21.99 | −$46.99 | −$147 |
| PSA 9 | $4.25 | −$22.74 | −$47.74 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $4.44 | −$47.55 |
| 50% | $4.63 | −$47.37 |
| 75% | $4.81 | −$47.18 |
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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Should I pay this?
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![Pittsburgh Steelers [Rally Around the Ball Carrier] #44 1984 Fleer Team Action card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/k7gAAOSwV4Jm4HDh/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Pittsburgh Steelers [The Play Begins to...] #43 — FAQ
Is Pittsburgh Steelers [The Play Begins to...] #43 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Pittsburgh Steelers [The Play Begins to...] #43 sell for $5.00, only $3.01 above the $1.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($4.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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