Is Willie Mays worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2001 Topps Archives Baseball Bucks · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Willie Mays sells for $51.20 against $1.25 raw: a $49.95 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.00) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $51.20
- PSA 9
- $14.00
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $51.20 | +$24.95 | −$0.05 | −$100 |
| PSA 9 | $14.00 | −$12.25 | −$37.25 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $7.12 | −$19.13 | −$44.13 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $23.30 | −$27.95 |
| 50% | $32.60 | −$18.65 |
| 75% | $41.90 | −$9.35 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $67.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.20 | −$15.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 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 | $51.20 | $31.00 | $67.00 | $31.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $26.03 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.12 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Willie Mays — FAQ
Is Willie Mays worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays sells for $51.20 against $1.25 raw: a $49.95 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.00) 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 Willie Mays worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays (Baseball Cards 2001 Topps Archives Baseball Bucks) sells for about $51.20 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Mays?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $67.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.20. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Mays 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.
Is your baseball 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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