![Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-kgAAeSw23FqRwe1/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 sells for $190 against $9.98 raw: a $180 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.83) 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)
- $9.98
- PSA 10
- $190
- PSA 9
- $31.83
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $190 | +$155 | +$130 | +$29.61 |
| PSA 9 | $31.83 | −$3.15 | −$28.15 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $4.99 | −$29.99 | −$54.99 | −$155 |
Net = sale price − $9.98 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% | $71.27 | +$11.29 |
| 50% | $111 | +$50.73 |
| 75% | $150 | +$90.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 18%. 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 | $246 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $190 | −$56.41 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $114 | −$132 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $114 | −$132 | 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 | $190 | $114 | $246 | $114 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $64.11 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $31.83 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $4.99 |
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 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 — FAQ
Is Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 sells for $190 against $9.98 raw: a $180 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.83) 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 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) sells for about $190 versus $9.98 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $246, ahead of PSA 10 at $190. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 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 Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 breaks even when it gems about 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.83).
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