Is Don Mattingly #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Score Glossy · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #1 sells for $165 against $9.61 raw: a $155 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.26) 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)
- $9.61
- PSA 10
- $165
- PSA 9
- $40.26
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $165 | +$130 | +$105 | +$4.89 |
| PSA 9 | $40.26 | +$5.65 | −$19.35 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $5.65 | −$28.96 | −$53.96 | −$154 |
Net = sale price − $9.61 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% | $71.32 | +$11.71 |
| 50% | $102 | +$42.77 |
| 75% | $133 | +$73.83 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $214 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $165 | −$49.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.00 | −$115 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.00 | −$115 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1988 Score Glossy cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Don Mattingly #1 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #1 sells for $165 against $9.61 raw: a $155 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.26) 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 #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #1 (Baseball Cards 1988 Score Glossy) sells for about $165 versus $9.61 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $214, ahead of PSA 10 at $165. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #1 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #1 breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.26).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
