![Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/nKYAAeSw0-1o-UGJ/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 sell for $17.00, only $0.02 above the $16.98 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.05) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $16.98
- Grade 9.5
- $17.00
- PSA 9
- $15.05
- Gem premium
- 1.0×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $17.00 | −$24.98 | −$49.98 | −$150 |
| PSA 9 | $15.05 | −$26.93 | −$51.93 | −$152 |
| PSA 8 | $3.82 | −$38.16 | −$63.16 | −$163 |
Net = sale price − $16.98 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% | $15.54 | −$51.44 |
| 50% | $16.02 | −$50.95 |
| 75% | $16.51 | −$50.47 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $17.00 |
| 9 | $15.05 |
| 8 | $3.82 |
| 7 | $3.00 |
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 Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Cal Ripken Jr. [Borderless Refractor] #M16 sell for $17.00, only $0.02 above the $16.98 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.05) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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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