![Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 (Baseball Cards 1962 Post Cereal) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3jgAAeSwjZxqdP1B/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1962 Post Cereal · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 sells for $11,631 against $66.16 raw: a $11,565 spread, 176× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,249) 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)
- $66.16
- PSA 10
- $11,631
- PSA 9
- $1,249
- Gem premium
- 176×
- 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 | $11,631 | +$11,540 | +$11,515 | +$11,415 |
| PSA 9 | $1,249 | +$1,157 | +$1,132 | +$1,032 |
| PSA 8 | $699 | +$608 | +$583 | +$483 |
Net = sale price − $66.16 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% | $3,844 | +$3,728 |
| 50% | $6,440 | +$6,324 |
| 75% | $9,036 | +$8,919 |
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 | $15,121 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $11,631 | −$3,490 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $6,979 | −$8,142 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $6,979 | −$8,142 | 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 1962 Post Cereal cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Carl Yastrzemski [Hand Cut] #61 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P6oAAeSwKVxqli4L/s-l500.jpg)
![Hank Aaron [Hand Cut] #149 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fg8AAeSwCABqUkN7/s-l500.jpg)
![Roberto Clemente [Hand Cut Red Lines] #173 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CyYAAeSw4ulqRtNd/s-l500.jpg)
![Sandy Koufax [Hand Cut Red Lines] #109 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Ff8AAeSwcD9ozL0M/s-l500.jpg)
![Sandy Koufax [Hand Cut] #109 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OlUAAeSwxqFqmOFv/s-l500.jpg)
![Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut] #5 1962 Post Cereal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/itUAAeSw9apqUkUs/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 — FAQ
Is Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 sells for $11,631 against $66.16 raw: a $11,565 spread, 176× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,249) 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 [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 (Baseball Cards 1962 Post Cereal) sells for about $11,631 versus $66.16 for a raw near-mint copy — a 176× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $15,121, ahead of PSA 10 at $11,631. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Mantle [Hand Cut Ad Back, Life Mag] #5 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.
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