Is Willie Mays worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1970 Milton Bradley · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Willie Mays sells for $154 against $21.50 raw: a $132 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.00) 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)
- $21.50
- PSA 10
- $154
- PSA 9
- $67.00
- Gem premium
- 7.1×
- 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 | $154 | +$107 | +$82.00 | −$18.00 |
| PSA 9 | $67.00 | +$20.50 | −$4.50 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $60.93 | +$14.43 | −$10.57 | −$111 |
Net = sale price − $21.50 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% | $88.63 | +$17.13 |
| 50% | $110 | +$38.75 |
| 75% | $132 | +$60.38 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $200 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $154 | −$46.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $92.00 | −$108 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $92.00 | −$108 | 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 Willie Mays — FAQ
Is Willie Mays worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays sells for $154 against $21.50 raw: a $132 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.00) 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 Willie Mays worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays (Baseball Cards 1970 Milton Bradley) sells for about $154 versus $21.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.1× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Mays?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $200, ahead of PSA 10 at $154. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Mays 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 Willie Mays break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Willie Mays breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $67.00).
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