Is Frank Thomas #ILM18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Frank Thomas #ILM18 sell for $28.00, only $21.17 above the $6.83 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($26.04) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $6.83
- PSA 10
- $28.00
- PSA 9
- $26.04
- 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 — PSA 10 | $28.00 | −$3.83 | −$28.83 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $26.04 | −$5.79 | −$30.79 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $24.02 | −$7.81 | −$32.81 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $6.83 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% | $26.53 | −$30.30 |
| 50% | $27.02 | −$29.81 |
| 75% | $27.51 | −$29.32 |
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 | $36.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $28.00 | −$8.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $17.00 | −$19.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $17.00 | −$19.00 | 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 1998 Topps Mystery Finest cards worth checking
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![Chipper Jones [Bordered Refractor] #M2 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lvoAAeSwkuZp-6VX/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Bordered Refractor] #M10 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4YAAeSwNKlqVZ9w/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Frank Thomas #ILM18 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #ILM18 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Frank Thomas #ILM18 sell for $28.00, only $21.17 above the $6.83 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($26.04) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Frank Thomas #ILM18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #ILM18 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) sells for about $28.00 versus $6.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.1× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #ILM18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $36.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $28.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #ILM18 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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