Is Mark McGwire [Tiffany] #47 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps American · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Tiffany] #47 sells for $39.00 against $9.47 raw: a $29.53 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.62) 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)
- $9.47
- Grade 9.5
- $39.00
- PSA 9
- $35.62
- Gem premium
- 4.1×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $39.00 | +$4.53 | −$20.47 | −$120 |
| PSA 9 | $35.62 | +$1.15 | −$23.85 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $19.99 | −$14.48 | −$39.48 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $9.47 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% | $36.46 | −$23.01 |
| 50% | $37.31 | −$22.16 |
| 75% | $38.16 | −$21.31 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Mark McGwire [Tiffany] #47 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Tiffany] #47 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Tiffany] #47 sells for $39.00 against $9.47 raw: a $29.53 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.62) 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.
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