Is Joe Smith [Silver] #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 [Silver] #M41 sells for $35.00 against $2.20 raw: a $32.80 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.99) 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)
- $2.20
- Grade 9.5
- $35.00
- PSA 9
- $31.99
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $35.00 | +$7.80 | −$17.20 | −$117 |
| PSA 9 | $31.99 | +$4.79 | −$20.21 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $2.20 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% | $32.74 | −$19.46 |
| 50% | $33.49 | −$18.71 |
| 75% | $34.25 | −$17.95 |
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 Joe Smith [Silver] #M41 — FAQ
Is Joe Smith [Silver] #M41 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Smith [Silver] #M41 sells for $35.00 against $2.20 raw: a $32.80 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.99) 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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