Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #78 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1994 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #78 sells for $146 against $35.98 raw: a $110 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($133) 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)
- $35.98
- Grade 9.5
- $146
- PSA 9
- $133
- 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 | $146 | +$85.02 | +$60.02 | −$39.98 |
| PSA 9 | $133 | +$72.02 | +$47.02 | −$52.98 |
| PSA 8 | $121 | +$59.89 | +$34.89 | −$65.11 |
Net = sale price − $35.98 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% | $136 | +$50.27 |
| 50% | $140 | +$53.52 |
| 75% | $143 | +$56.77 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Mark McGwire [Refractor] #78 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #78 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #78 sells for $146 against $35.98 raw: a $110 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($133) 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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