Is Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 sells for $62.12 against $1.37 raw: a $60.75 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.66) 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)
- $1.37
- PSA 10
- $62.12
- PSA 9
- $15.66
- Gem premium
- 45×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $62.12 | +$35.75 | +$10.75 | −$89.25 |
| PSA 9 | $15.66 | −$10.71 | −$35.71 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $7.81 | −$18.56 | −$43.56 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.37 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% | $27.27 | −$24.10 |
| 50% | $38.89 | −$12.48 |
| 75% | $50.50 | −$0.87 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 77%. 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 | $81.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $62.12 | −$18.88 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$44.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Brian Fuentes / Matt Clement / Roy Halladay [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #264 1998 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IEoAAeSwg7pork4w/s-l500.jpg)
![Jose Canseco [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #110 1998 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/s6kAAeSwpfdqK3Ew/s-l500.jpg)
![Mariano Rivera [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #8 1998 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cmYAAOSwRS1nqs47/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 — FAQ
Is Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 sells for $62.12 against $1.37 raw: a $60.75 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.66) 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 Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps) sells for about $62.12 versus $1.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $81.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $62.12. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 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 Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Matt Williams [Diamondbacks Inaugural] #439 breaks even when it gems about 77% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.66).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
