Is Mark McGwire #BC-23 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Donruss MVP · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #BC-23 sells for $51.01 against $1.04 raw: a $49.97 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.00) 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)
- $1.04
- PSA 10
- $51.01
- PSA 9
- $14.00
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $51.01 | +$24.97 | −$0.03 | −$100 |
| PSA 9 | $14.00 | −$12.04 | −$37.04 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $12.50 | −$13.54 | −$38.54 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.04 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% | $23.25 | −$27.79 |
| 50% | $32.50 | −$18.54 |
| 75% | $41.76 | −$9.28 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $66.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.01 | −$14.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$35.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$35.00 | 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 | $51.01 | $31.00 | $66.00 | $31.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.11 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $2.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1988 Donruss MVP cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Mark McGwire #BC-23 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #BC-23 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #BC-23 sells for $51.01 against $1.04 raw: a $49.97 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.00) 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 #BC-23 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #BC-23 (Baseball Cards 1988 Donruss MVP) sells for about $51.01 versus $1.04 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire #BC-23?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $66.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.01. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire #BC-23 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.
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