Is Don Mattingly #397 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #397 sells for $54.79 against $1.30 raw: a $53.49 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.19) 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)
- $1.30
- PSA 10
- $54.79
- PSA 9
- $11.19
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $54.79 | +$28.49 | +$3.49 | −$96.51 |
| PSA 9 | $11.19 | −$15.11 | −$40.11 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $8.42 | −$17.88 | −$42.88 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.30 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% | $22.09 | −$29.21 |
| 50% | $32.99 | −$18.31 |
| 75% | $43.89 | −$7.41 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 92%. 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 | $71.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $54.79 | −$16.21 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 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 | $54.79 | $33.00 | $71.00 | $33.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $27.39 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.19 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.42 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Don Mattingly #397 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #397 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #397 sells for $54.79 against $1.30 raw: a $53.49 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.19) 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 Don Mattingly #397 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #397 (Baseball Cards 1989 Topps) sells for about $54.79 versus $1.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #397?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $71.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $54.79. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #397 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 #397 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #397 breaks even when it gems about 92% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.19).
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.
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