If you are reading this, I will first direct you to my previous blog where I start on this topic. This is the second installment with a few more key examples and several other interesting questions surrounding this topic.

I'll use two other examples of players. An ungraded Mickey Mantle single-signed baseball generally sells in the $600-$800 range. According to my records, only one PSA 10 Mantle ball sold in the auction circuit last year and it sold for $3,109. Most PSA 9 and 9.5 balls finished anywhere from $800 to $1,100, while 8.5s finish from $600-$900. Mantle balls can be authenticated for $75, plus $25 for the grading fee so it costs $100 to roll the dice.

The final example I'll use it Joe DiMaggio. Ungraded DiMaggio balls sell in the $400-$600 range. Graded examples aren't as plentiful as others, but you can still find them. A PSA 10 graded single signed ball sold for $1,516 in April of last year. A PSA 9.5 sold for $657, while a PSA 8.5 and 8 sold for $344 and $345, respectively. As with Mantle, DiMaggio costs $100 to get a single-signed ball graded ($75 + $25).

With these two examples, it starts to look a lot like card grading; there is no general rule. It simply comes down to how sharp of an eye you have for what's going to grade high enough to make it worth the cost of grading. For Bonds and Rose, you might need a 10. For Mantle and DiMaggio, a 9 is still worth it.

Two more questions need to be considered. First, in 20 years is it better to have the graded ball or not? Sure, a Pete Rose-signed ball is easy to find, even in a 10, but how difficult will it be in 20 years and how much will it rise in value? Second, how difficult is it to get a 10? There is no population report for this so nobody really knows. There are a lot of people that think it's very tough and a lot of people that think it's fairly easy. Personally, I see a lot of graded balls in the auction circuit and most of them are not 10s so it must not be that easy.

I'm opening this one up to comments at this point. There's plenty more to discuss, but I'd like to hear what collectors think. Is it easy to get a 10? Is it worth it in 20 years? Do you grade to sell or to save? Let me know what your opinions are and your experiences.