Is Mark McGwire #54 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Highlights · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 27× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #54 sells for $52.50 against $1.98 raw: a $50.52 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.38) 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)
- $1.98
- PSA 10
- $52.50
- PSA 9
- $16.38
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $52.50 | +$25.52 | +$0.52 | −$99.48 |
| PSA 9 | $16.38 | −$10.60 | −$35.60 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $8.38 | −$18.60 | −$43.60 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.98 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% | $25.41 | −$26.57 |
| 50% | $34.44 | −$17.54 |
| 75% | $43.47 | −$8.51 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 99%. 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 | $68.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $52.50 | −$15.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$36.00 | 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 Mark McGwire #54 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #54 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #54 sells for $52.50 against $1.98 raw: a $50.52 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.38) 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 Mark McGwire #54 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #54 (Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Highlights) sells for about $52.50 versus $1.98 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire #54?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $68.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $52.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire #54 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 Mark McGwire #54 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire #54 breaks even when it gems about 99% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.38).
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