Is Ben McDonald #249 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 29× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ben McDonald #249 sells for $50.60 against $1.74 raw: a $48.86 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.91) 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)
- $1.74
- PSA 10
- $50.60
- PSA 9
- $16.91
- Gem premium
- 29×
- 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 | $50.60 | +$23.86 | −$1.14 | −$101 |
| PSA 9 | $16.91 | −$9.83 | −$34.83 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $13.05 | −$13.69 | −$38.69 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.74 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% | $25.33 | −$26.41 |
| 50% | $33.76 | −$17.98 |
| 75% | $42.18 | −$9.56 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $66.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $50.60 | −$15.40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $30.00 | −$36.00 | 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 Ben McDonald #249 — FAQ
Is Ben McDonald #249 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ben McDonald #249 sells for $50.60 against $1.74 raw: a $48.86 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.91) 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 Ben McDonald #249 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ben McDonald #249 (Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf) sells for about $50.60 versus $1.74 for a raw near-mint copy — a 29× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ben McDonald #249?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $66.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $50.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ben McDonald #249 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.
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