Is Dale Murphy #40 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Opening Day · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 78× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #40 sells for $97.57 against $1.25 raw: a $96.32 spread, 78× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.73) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $97.57
- PSA 9
- $20.73
- Gem premium
- 78×
- 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 | $97.57 | +$71.32 | +$46.32 | −$53.68 |
| PSA 9 | $20.73 | −$5.52 | −$30.52 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $9.65 | −$16.60 | −$41.60 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $39.94 | −$11.31 |
| 50% | $59.15 | +$7.90 |
| 75% | $78.36 | +$27.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $127 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $97.57 | −$29.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $59.00 | −$68.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $59.00 | −$68.00 | 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 | $97.57 | $59.00 | $127 | $59.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.16 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.73 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.65 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1987 Donruss Opening Day cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Barry Bonds [Dark Jersey Johnny Ray] #163 1987 Donruss Opening Day card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jbgAAeSwUvhqFeIW/s-l500.jpg)
![Barry Bonds [White Jersey, Corr. Photo] #163 1987 Donruss Opening Day card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~qcAAeSwdJpqWA9R/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Dale Murphy #40 — FAQ
Is Dale Murphy #40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #40 sells for $97.57 against $1.25 raw: a $96.32 spread, 78× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.73) 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 Dale Murphy #40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #40 (Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Opening Day) sells for about $97.57 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 78× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dale Murphy #40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $127, ahead of PSA 10 at $97.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dale Murphy #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 Dale Murphy #40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dale Murphy #40 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.73).
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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