Is Willie Mays #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Circle K · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #3 sells for $81.50 against $1.68 raw: a $79.82 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.43) 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)
- $1.68
- PSA 10
- $81.50
- PSA 9
- $17.43
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $81.50 | +$54.82 | +$29.82 | −$70.18 |
| PSA 9 | $17.43 | −$9.25 | −$34.25 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $13.21 | −$13.47 | −$38.47 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.68 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% | $33.45 | −$18.23 |
| 50% | $49.47 | −$2.21 |
| 75% | $65.48 | +$13.80 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $106 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $81.50 | −$24.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1985 Circle K cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Willie Mays #3 — FAQ
Is Willie Mays #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #3 sells for $81.50 against $1.68 raw: a $79.82 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.43) 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 Willie Mays #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #3 (Baseball Cards 1985 Circle K) sells for about $81.50 versus $1.68 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Mays #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $106, ahead of PSA 10 at $81.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Mays #3 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 #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Willie Mays #3 breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.43).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
