Is Mariano Rivera #19 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Collector's Choice · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mariano Rivera #19 sells for $76.33 against $2.18 raw: a $74.15 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.50) 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)
- $2.18
- PSA 10
- $76.33
- PSA 9
- $19.50
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $76.33 | +$49.15 | +$24.15 | −$75.85 |
| PSA 9 | $19.50 | −$7.68 | −$32.68 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $9.96 | −$17.22 | −$42.22 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.18 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% | $33.71 | −$18.47 |
| 50% | $47.91 | −$4.27 |
| 75% | $62.12 | +$9.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $99.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $76.33 | −$22.67 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $46.00 | −$53.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.55 | −$57.45 | 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 | $76.33 | $46.00 | $99.00 | $41.55 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $36.45 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.96 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.75 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Collector's Choice cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Derek Jeter [Gold Signature] #231 1996 Collector's Choice card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TJYAAeSwto1qDS0N/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Gold Signature] #310 1996 Collector's Choice card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IOgAAeSw2UdqOwrb/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mariano Rivera #19 — FAQ
Is Mariano Rivera #19 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mariano Rivera #19 sells for $76.33 against $2.18 raw: a $74.15 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.50) 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 Mariano Rivera #19 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mariano Rivera #19 (Baseball Cards 1996 Collector's Choice) sells for about $76.33 versus $2.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mariano Rivera #19?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $99.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $76.33. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mariano Rivera #19 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 Mariano Rivera #19 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mariano Rivera #19 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.50).
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.
Check my card free