Is Mark Malone #284 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1987 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 113× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark Malone #284 sells for $165 against $1.45 raw: a $163 spread, 113× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.97) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.45
- PSA 10
- $165
- PSA 9
- $24.97
- Gem premium
- 113×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $165 | +$138 | +$113 | +$13.05 |
| PSA 9 | $24.97 | −$1.48 | −$26.48 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $10.39 | −$16.06 | −$41.06 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.45 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% | $59.85 | +$8.40 |
| 50% | $94.73 | +$43.28 |
| 75% | $130 | +$78.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $214 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $165 | −$49.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.00 | −$115 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.00 | −$115 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $165 | $99.00 | $214 | $99.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $41.04 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.97 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.39 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Mark Malone #284 — FAQ
Is Mark Malone #284 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark Malone #284 sells for $165 against $1.45 raw: a $163 spread, 113× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.97) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Mark Malone #284 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark Malone #284 (Football Cards 1987 Topps) sells for about $165 versus $1.45 for a raw near-mint copy — a 113× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark Malone #284?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $214, ahead of PSA 10 at $165. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark Malone #284 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Mark Malone #284 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark Malone #284 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.97).
Is your football card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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