Is Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2015 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 sells for $125 against $66.57 raw: a $58.43 spread, 1.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($113) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $66.57
- Grade 9.5
- $125
- PSA 9
- $113
- Gem premium
- 1.9×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $125 | +$33.43 | +$8.43 | −$91.57 |
| PSA 9 | $113 | +$21.78 | −$3.22 | −$103 |
Net = sale price − $66.57 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% | $116 | −$0.31 |
| 50% | $119 | +$2.61 |
| 75% | $122 | +$5.52 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $125 |
| 9 | $113 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 — FAQ
Is Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 sells for $125 against $66.57 raw: a $58.43 spread, 1.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($113) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Mauer [Gold Refractor] #4 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $113).
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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