Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #74 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #74 sells for $107 against $70.50 raw: a $36.50 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($97.50) 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)
- $70.50
- Grade 9.5
- $107
- PSA 9
- $97.50
- Gem premium
- 1.5×
- 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 | $107 | +$11.50 | −$13.50 | −$114 |
| PSA 9 | $97.50 | +$2.00 | −$23.00 | −$123 |
Net = sale price − $70.50 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% | $99.88 | −$20.63 |
| 50% | $102 | −$18.25 |
| 75% | $105 | −$15.88 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Mark McGwire [Refractor] #74 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #74 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #74 sells for $107 against $70.50 raw: a $36.50 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($97.50) 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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