Is Don Mattingly #386 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Tiffany · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #386 sells for $99.99 against $3.25 raw: a $96.74 spread, 31× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.18) 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)
- $3.25
- PSA 10
- $99.99
- PSA 9
- $33.18
- Gem premium
- 31×
- As of
- Sep 10, 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 | $99.99 | +$71.74 | +$46.74 | −$53.26 |
| PSA 9 | $33.18 | +$4.93 | −$20.07 | −$120 |
| PSA 8 | $20.05 | −$8.20 | −$33.20 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $3.25 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% | $49.88 | −$3.37 |
| 50% | $66.58 | +$13.33 |
| 75% | $83.29 | +$30.04 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.99 | −$30.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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 Don Mattingly #386 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #386 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #386 sells for $99.99 against $3.25 raw: a $96.74 spread, 31× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.18) 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 Don Mattingly #386 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #386 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Tiffany) sells for about $99.99 versus $3.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Sep 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #386?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #386 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 #386 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #386 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.18).
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