![Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-QEAAeSwo9lqaRWX/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 sells for $83.49 against $9.85 raw: a $73.64 spread, 8.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $9.85
- PSA 10
- $83.49
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- Gem premium
- 8.5×
- 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 | $83.49 | +$48.64 | +$23.64 | −$76.36 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | −$4.86 | −$29.86 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $13.75 | −$21.10 | −$46.10 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $9.85 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% | $43.36 | −$16.49 |
| 50% | $56.74 | −$3.11 |
| 75% | $70.11 | +$10.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $83.49 | −$25.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $83.49 | $50.00 | $109 | $50.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $82.81 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.75 |
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
Full set checklist →![Chipper Jones [Bordered Refractor] #M2 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lvoAAeSwkuZp-6VX/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Bordered] #M20 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/masAAeSwxLNqYrhR/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Bordered Refractor] #M10 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4YAAeSwNKlqVZ9w/s-l500.jpg)
![Cal Ripken Jr. [Bordered Refractor] #M16 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JjAAAeSwgblqYU~B/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Bordered Refractor] #M20 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GHQAAeSwKA1qSCdY/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 sells for $83.49 against $9.85 raw: a $73.64 spread, 8.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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 Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) sells for about $83.49 versus $9.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.5× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $83.49. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 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 Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire [Bordered Refractor] #M7 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.99).
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.
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