Is Louis Lipps worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1989 Kenner Starting Lineup · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Louis Lipps sells for $59.00 against $4.97 raw: a $54.03 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($53.83) 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)
- $4.97
- Grade 9.5
- $59.00
- PSA 9
- $53.83
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $59.00 | +$29.03 | +$4.03 | −$95.97 |
| PSA 9 | $53.83 | +$23.86 | −$1.14 | −$101 |
Net = sale price − $4.97 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% | $55.12 | +$0.15 |
| 50% | $56.41 | +$1.45 |
| 75% | $57.71 | +$2.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 22%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Other 1989 Kenner Starting Lineup cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Louis Lipps — FAQ
Is Louis Lipps worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Louis Lipps sells for $59.00 against $4.97 raw: a $54.03 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($53.83) 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 Louis Lipps break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Louis Lipps breaks even when it gems about 22% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $53.83).
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