Is Don Mattingly #500 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 108× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #500 sells for $137 against $1.27 raw: a $136 spread, 108× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.53) 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)
- $1.27
- PSA 10
- $137
- PSA 9
- $19.53
- Gem premium
- 108×
- As of
- Aug 18, 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 | $137 | +$111 | +$85.61 | −$14.39 |
| PSA 9 | $19.53 | −$6.74 | −$31.74 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $11.33 | −$14.94 | −$39.94 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.27 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% | $48.87 | −$2.40 |
| 50% | $78.20 | +$26.94 |
| 75% | $108 | +$56.27 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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 | $178 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $137 | −$41.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $97.50 | −$80.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 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 | $137 | $82.00 | $178 | $97.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.98 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.53 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.33 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.39 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1987 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Don Mattingly #500 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #500 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #500 sells for $137 against $1.27 raw: a $136 spread, 108× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.53) 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 Don Mattingly #500 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #500 (Baseball Cards 1987 Topps) sells for about $137 versus $1.27 for a raw near-mint copy — a 108× premium as of Aug 18, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #500?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $178, ahead of PSA 10 at $137. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #500 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 Don Mattingly #500 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #500 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.53).
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.
Check my card free