Is Sam McDowell worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1969 Topps Decals · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 14× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sam McDowell sells for $59.96 against $4.20 raw: a $55.76 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.25) 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)
- $4.20
- PSA 10
- $59.96
- PSA 9
- $17.25
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $59.96 | +$30.76 | +$5.76 | −$94.24 |
| PSA 9 | $17.25 | −$11.95 | −$36.95 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$19.21 | −$44.21 | −$144 |
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% | $27.93 | −$26.27 |
| 50% | $38.61 | −$15.59 |
| 75% | $49.28 | −$4.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 87%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 | $78.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.96 | −$18.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 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 Sam McDowell — FAQ
Is Sam McDowell worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam McDowell sells for $59.96 against $4.20 raw: a $55.76 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.25) 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 Sam McDowell worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam McDowell (Baseball Cards 1969 Topps Decals) sells for about $59.96 versus $4.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam McDowell?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $78.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.96. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam 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.
What gem rate makes grading Sam McDowell break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam McDowell breaks even when it gems about 87% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.25).
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