Is Dale Murphy #78 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Donruss · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #78 sells for $89.99 against $1.19 raw: a $88.80 spread, 76× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.99) 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)
- $1.19
- PSA 10
- $89.99
- PSA 9
- $26.99
- Gem premium
- 76×
- 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 | $89.99 | +$63.80 | +$38.80 | −$61.20 |
| PSA 9 | $26.99 | +$0.80 | −$24.20 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $5.34 | −$20.85 | −$45.85 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.19 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% | $42.74 | −$8.45 |
| 50% | $58.49 | +$7.30 |
| 75% | $74.24 | +$23.05 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $117 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.99 | −$27.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$63.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$63.00 | 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 Dale Murphy #78 — FAQ
Is Dale Murphy #78 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #78 sells for $89.99 against $1.19 raw: a $88.80 spread, 76× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.99) 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 Dale Murphy #78 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dale Murphy #78 (Baseball Cards 1988 Donruss) sells for about $89.99 versus $1.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 76× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dale Murphy #78?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $117, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dale Murphy #78 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 #78 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dale Murphy #78 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.99).
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