Is Ryne Sandberg #18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Ultra Thunderclap · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ryne Sandberg #18 sells for $424 against $116 raw: a $308 spread, 3.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($385) 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)
- $116
- Grade 9.5
- $424
- PSA 9
- $385
- Gem premium
- 3.7×
- 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 | $424 | +$283 | +$258 | +$158 |
| PSA 9 | $385 | +$244 | +$219 | +$119 |
| PSA 8 | $233 | +$91.71 | +$66.71 | −$33.29 |
Net = sale price − $116 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% | $395 | +$229 |
| 50% | $405 | +$239 |
| 75% | $414 | +$248 |
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 Ryne Sandberg #18 — FAQ
Is Ryne Sandberg #18 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ryne Sandberg #18 sells for $424 against $116 raw: a $308 spread, 3.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($385) 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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