Is Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 worth grading?

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Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 sells for $55.00 against $2.49 raw: a $52.51 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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): $2.49
Grade 9.5: $55.00
PSA 9: $49.99
Gem premium: 22×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Sherman Douglas Refractor #103: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$55.00	+$27.51	+$2.51	−$97.49
PSA 9	$49.99	+$22.50	−$2.50	−$103

Net = sale price − $2.49 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?

Sherman Douglas Refractor #103: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$51.24	−$1.25
50%	$52.50	+$0.01
75%	$53.75	+$1.26

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 50%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$55.00
9	$49.99
7	$25.00

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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Grading Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 — FAQ

Is Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 worth grading?

What gem rate makes grading Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sherman Douglas Refractor #103 breaks even when it gems about 50% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.99).

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