Is Bobby Bonilla #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Ultra Thunderclap · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bobby Bonilla #3 sells for $99.00 against $14.95 raw: a $84.05 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($89.99) 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)
- $14.95
- Grade 9.5
- $99.00
- PSA 9
- $89.99
- Gem premium
- 6.6×
- 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 | $99.00 | +$59.05 | +$34.05 | −$65.95 |
| PSA 9 | $89.99 | +$50.04 | +$25.04 | −$74.96 |
| PSA 8 | $26.76 | −$13.19 | −$38.19 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $14.95 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% | $92.24 | +$27.29 |
| 50% | $94.50 | +$29.55 |
| 75% | $96.75 | +$31.80 |
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 Bobby Bonilla #3 — FAQ
Is Bobby Bonilla #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bobby Bonilla #3 sells for $99.00 against $14.95 raw: a $84.05 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($89.99) 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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