Is Mark McGwire #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Rookies · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 sells for $220 against $3.63 raw: a $216 spread, 61× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $3.63
- PSA 10
- $220
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- 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 | $220 | +$191 | +$166 | +$66.34 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | +$1.36 | −$23.64 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $11.99 | −$16.64 | −$41.64 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $3.63 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% | $77.48 | +$23.86 |
| 50% | $125 | +$71.35 |
| 75% | $172 | +$119 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $474 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $262 | −$212 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $220 | −$254 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $132 | −$342 | 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 | $220 | $132 | $262 | $474 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.36 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.93 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Mark McGwire #1 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 sells for $220 against $3.63 raw: a $216 spread, 61× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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 Mark McGwire #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 (Baseball Cards 1987 Donruss Rookies) sells for about $220 versus $3.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 61× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire #1?
By resale value, SGC 10 leads at $474, ahead of BGS 10 at $262. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire #1 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire #1 breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.99).
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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