Is Mickey Mantle #280 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1968 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #280 sells for $284,750 against $292 raw: a $284,458 spread, 974× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($12,627) 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)
- $292
- PSA 10
- $284,750
- PSA 9
- $12,627
- Gem premium
- 974×
- 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 | $284,750 | +$284,433 | +$284,408 | +$284,308 |
| PSA 9 | $12,627 | +$12,310 | +$12,285 | +$12,185 |
| PSA 8 | $2,265 | +$1,948 | +$1,923 | +$1,823 |
Net = sale price − $292 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% | $80,658 | +$80,316 |
| 50% | $148,689 | +$148,346 |
| 75% | $216,719 | +$216,377 |
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 | $370,175 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $284,750 | −$85,425 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $170,850 | −$199,325 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $170,850 | −$199,325 | 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 | $284,750 | $170,850 | $370,175 | $170,850 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $13,890 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12,627 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $2,265 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $1,200 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Mickey Mantle #280 — FAQ
Is Mickey Mantle #280 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #280 sells for $284,750 against $292 raw: a $284,458 spread, 974× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($12,627) 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 #280 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Mantle #280 (Baseball Cards 1968 Topps) sells for about $284,750 versus $292 for a raw near-mint copy — a 974× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Mantle #280?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $370,175, ahead of PSA 10 at $284,750. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Mantle #280 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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