Is Sammy McDowell worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1966 Topps Rub Offs · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sammy McDowell sells for $50.00 against $5.38 raw: a $44.62 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.50) 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)
- $5.38
- PSA 10
- $50.00
- PSA 9
- $21.50
- Gem premium
- 9.3×
- 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 | $50.00 | +$19.62 | −$5.38 | −$105 |
| PSA 9 | $21.50 | −$8.88 | −$33.88 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $6.75 | −$23.63 | −$48.63 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $5.38 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% | $28.63 | −$26.75 |
| 50% | $35.75 | −$19.63 |
| 75% | $42.88 | −$12.51 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $65.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $50.00 | −$15.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.00 | −$35.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $30.00 | −$35.00 | 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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Grading Sammy McDowell — FAQ
Is Sammy McDowell worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sammy McDowell sells for $50.00 against $5.38 raw: a $44.62 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.50) 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 Sammy McDowell worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sammy McDowell (Baseball Cards 1966 Topps Rub Offs) sells for about $50.00 versus $5.38 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.3× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sammy McDowell?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $65.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $50.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sammy McDowell 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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