Is Mickey Mantle #253 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #253 sells for $2,593,468 against $10,099 raw: a $2,583,369 spread, 257× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($416,592) 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)
- $10,099
- PSA 10
- $2,593,468
- PSA 9
- $416,592
- Gem premium
- 257×
- As of
- Aug 9, 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 | $2,593,468 | +$2,583,344 | +$2,583,319 | +$2,583,219 |
| PSA 9 | $416,592 | +$406,468 | +$406,443 | +$406,343 |
| PSA 8 | $402,600 | +$392,476 | +$392,451 | +$392,351 |
Net = sale price − $10,099 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% | $960,811 | +$950,662 |
| 50% | $1,505,030 | +$1,494,881 |
| 75% | $2,049,249 | +$2,039,100 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $3,371,509 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,593,468 | −$778,041 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,556,081 | −$1,815,428 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $8,617 | −$3,362,892 | 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 | $2,593,468 | $1,556,081 | $3,371,509 | $8,617 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $709,988 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $416,592 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $402,600 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $69,362 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Mickey Mantle #253 — FAQ
Is Mickey Mantle #253 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #253 sells for $2,593,468 against $10,099 raw: a $2,583,369 spread, 257× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($416,592) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #253 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #253 (Baseball Cards 1951 Bowman) sells for about $2,593,468 versus $10,099 for a raw near-mint copy — a 257× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Mantle #253?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $3,371,509, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,593,468. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Mantle #253 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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