Is Dinner Guests #86 worth grading?
Star Wars · 1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Dinner Guests #86 sells for $293 against $1.76 raw: a $291 spread, 166× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($266) 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)
- $1.76
- Grade 9.5
- $293
- PSA 9
- $266
- Gem premium
- 166×
- As of
- Oct 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 | $293 | +$266 | +$241 | +$141 |
| PSA 9 | $266 | +$239 | +$214 | +$114 |
| PSA 8 | $21.01 | −$5.75 | −$30.75 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $1.76 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% | $273 | +$221 |
| 50% | $280 | +$228 |
| 75% | $286 | +$234 |
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 Dinner Guests #86 — FAQ
Is Dinner Guests #86 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Dinner Guests #86 sells for $293 against $1.76 raw: a $291 spread, 166× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($266) 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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