Is Tony Gwynn #M9 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn #M9 sells for $80.56 against $1.80 raw: a $78.76 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.65) 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)
- $1.80
- PSA 10
- $80.56
- PSA 9
- $18.65
- Gem premium
- 45×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $80.56 | +$53.76 | +$28.76 | −$71.24 |
| PSA 9 | $18.65 | −$8.15 | −$33.15 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $9.15 | −$17.65 | −$42.65 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.80 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% | $34.13 | −$17.67 |
| 50% | $49.61 | −$2.19 |
| 75% | $65.08 | +$13.28 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $105 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $80.56 | −$24.44 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$57.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.00 | −$57.00 | 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.
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps Mystery Finest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Chipper Jones [Refractor] #M4 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/me4AAeSw3ZZqH5vb/s-l500.jpg)
![Cal Ripken [Refractor] #M23 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QzMAAeSwN-lqakQr/s-l500.jpg)
![Cal Ripken [Refractor] #M7 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WZAAAeSwfohqq0GI/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Refractor] #M26 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/twUAAeSwUupquiRl/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Refractor] #M25 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/g58AAeSwtMVqrrnQ/s-l500.jpg)
![Kirby Puckett [Refractor] #M8 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RmcAAeSwimdovzdr/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Tony Gwynn #M9 — FAQ
Is Tony Gwynn #M9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn #M9 sells for $80.56 against $1.80 raw: a $78.76 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.65) 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 Tony Gwynn #M9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn #M9 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Mystery Finest) sells for about $80.56 versus $1.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tony Gwynn #M9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $105, ahead of PSA 10 at $80.56. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tony Gwynn #M9 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 Tony Gwynn #M9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tony Gwynn #M9 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.65).
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