Is Elly De La Cruz [Black] #SMLB-23 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Stars of MLB · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Elly De La Cruz [Black] #SMLB-23 sell for $110, only $5.00 above the $105 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($99.99) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $105
- Grade 9.5
- $110
- PSA 9
- $99.99
- Gem premium
- 1.0×
- 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 | −$20.00 | −$45.00 | −$145 |
| PSA 9 | $99.99 | −$30.01 | −$55.01 | −$155 |
Net = sale price − $105 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 | −$52.51 |
| 50% | $105 | −$50.00 |
| 75% | $107 | −$47.50 |
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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Grading Elly De La Cruz [Black] #SMLB-23 — FAQ
Is Elly De La Cruz [Black] #SMLB-23 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Elly De La Cruz [Black] #SMLB-23 sell for $110, only $5.00 above the $105 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($99.99) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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