Is Tug McGraw #40 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 61× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tug McGraw #40 sells for $70.50 against $1.15 raw: a $69.35 spread, 61× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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)
- $1.15
- PSA 10
- $70.50
- PSA 9
- $15.00
- Gem premium
- 61×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $70.50 | +$44.35 | +$19.35 | −$80.65 |
| PSA 9 | $15.00 | −$11.15 | −$36.15 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $13.48 | −$12.67 | −$37.67 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.15 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% | $28.88 | −$22.27 |
| 50% | $42.75 | −$8.40 |
| 75% | $56.63 | +$5.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 65%. 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 | $92.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $70.50 | −$21.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $70.50 | $42.00 | $92.00 | $42.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $45.52 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $15.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.48 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $11.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Tug McGraw #40 — FAQ
Is Tug McGraw #40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tug McGraw #40 sells for $70.50 against $1.15 raw: a $69.35 spread, 61× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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 Tug McGraw #40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tug McGraw #40 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $70.50 versus $1.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 61× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tug McGraw #40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $92.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tug McGraw #40 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 Tug McGraw #40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tug McGraw #40 breaks even when it gems about 65% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.00).
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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