![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 $0.20 above the $16.80 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)
- $16.80
- Grade 9.5
- $17.00
- PSA 9
- $15.05
- Gem premium
- 1.0×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $17.00 | −$24.80 | −$49.80 | −$150 |
| PSA 9 | $15.05 | −$26.75 | −$51.75 | −$152 |
| PSA 8 | $3.88 | −$37.92 | −$62.92 | −$163 |
Net = sale price − $16.80 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 | −$51.26 |
| 50% | $16.02 | −$50.78 |
| 75% | $16.51 | −$50.29 |
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 →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 →![Cal Ripken Jr. [Bordered Refractor] #M16 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JjAAAeSwgblqYU~B/s-l500.jpg)
![Barry Bonds [Borderless Refractor] #M19 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vTQAAeSw92lqicsC/s-l500.jpg)
![Tony Gwynn [Bordered Refractor] #M9 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-kgAAeSw23FqRwe1/s-l500.jpg)
![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)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Borderless] #M20 1998 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NTkAAeSwShxqqXbF/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 $0.20 above the $16.80 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.
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.
