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Mark Malone #163 (Football Cards 1988 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Mark Malone #163 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 102× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Mark Malone #163 sells for $162 against $1.59 raw: a $160 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.04) 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)
$1.59
PSA 10
$162
PSA 9
$11.04
Gem premium
102×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Mark Malone #163: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$162+$135+$110+$10.40
PSA 9$11.04−$15.55−$40.55−$141
PSA 8$8.99−$17.60−$42.60−$143

Net = sale price − $1.59 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?

Mark Malone #163: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$48.78−$2.81
50%$86.52+$34.92
75%$124+$72.66

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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
Mark Malone #163: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$211best55/4570/30
PSA 10$162−$49.0155/4575/25
CGC 10$97.00−$11455/4575/25
SGC 10$97.00−$11455/4575/25

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.

Mark Malone #163 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$162$97.00$211$97.00
9.5$41.66
9$11.04
8$8.99

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Grading Mark Malone #163 — FAQ

Is Mark Malone #163 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Mark Malone #163 sells for $162 against $1.59 raw: a $160 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.04) 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 #163 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Mark Malone #163 (Football Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $162 versus $1.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 102× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Mark Malone #163?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $211, ahead of PSA 10 at $162. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Mark Malone #163 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 #163 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark Malone #163 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.04).

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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