Is Joe Smith #M41 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1995 Finest Mystery · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Smith #M41 sells for $77.00 against $1.07 raw: a $75.93 spread, 72× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($70.00) 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)
- $1.07
- Grade 9.5
- $77.00
- PSA 9
- $70.00
- Gem premium
- 72×
- 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 | $77.00 | +$50.93 | +$25.93 | −$74.07 |
| PSA 9 | $70.00 | +$43.93 | +$18.93 | −$81.07 |
Net = sale price − $1.07 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% | $71.75 | +$20.68 |
| 50% | $73.50 | +$22.43 |
| 75% | $75.25 | +$24.18 |
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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Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
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Other 1995 Finest Mystery cards worth checking
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Grading Joe Smith #M41 — FAQ
Is Joe Smith #M41 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Smith #M41 sells for $77.00 against $1.07 raw: a $75.93 spread, 72× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($70.00) 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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