Is Don Mueller #42 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1954 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Mueller #42 sells for $1,116 against $4.20 raw: a $1,112 spread, 266× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($930) 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)
- $4.20
- PSA 10
- $1,116
- PSA 9
- $930
- Gem premium
- 266×
- 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 | $1,116 | +$1,087 | +$1,062 | +$962 |
| PSA 9 | $930 | +$901 | +$876 | +$776 |
| PSA 8 | $96.34 | +$67.14 | +$42.14 | −$57.86 |
Net = sale price − $4.20 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% | $976 | +$922 |
| 50% | $1,023 | +$969 |
| 75% | $1,069 | +$1,015 |
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 | $1,451 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,116 | −$335 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $670 | −$781 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $670 | −$781 | 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 | $1,116 | $670 | $1,451 | $670 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $1,023 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $930 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $96.34 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $49.00 |
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 Don Mueller #42 — FAQ
Is Don Mueller #42 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mueller #42 sells for $1,116 against $4.20 raw: a $1,112 spread, 266× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($930) 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 Don Mueller #42 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mueller #42 (Baseball Cards 1954 Topps) sells for about $1,116 versus $4.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 266× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mueller #42?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,451, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,116. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mueller #42 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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