Is Don Mattingly #84 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Pinnacle Starburst · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #84 sells for $126 against $3.06 raw: a $123 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.04) 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)
- $3.06
- PSA 10
- $126
- PSA 9
- $28.04
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $126 | +$97.67 | +$72.67 | −$27.33 |
| PSA 9 | $28.04 | −$0.02 | −$25.02 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $26.00 | −$2.06 | −$27.06 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $3.06 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% | $52.46 | −$0.60 |
| 50% | $76.89 | +$23.83 |
| 75% | $101 | +$48.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $163 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $126 | −$37.27 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $75.00 | −$88.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $75.00 | −$88.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Pinnacle Starburst cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Artist's Proof] #41 1996 Pinnacle Starburst card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/dzcAAeSw3nlqTs~S/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Artist's Proof] #61 1996 Pinnacle Starburst card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JvoAAeSwbspqf0RD/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Don Mattingly #84 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #84 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #84 sells for $126 against $3.06 raw: a $123 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.04) 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 #84 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #84 (Baseball Cards 1996 Pinnacle Starburst) sells for about $126 versus $3.06 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #84?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $163, ahead of PSA 10 at $126. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #84 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 #84 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #84 breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.04).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
