Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 sells for $180 against $34.99 raw: a $145 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $34.99
- PSA 10
- $180
- PSA 9
- $60.00
- Gem premium
- 5.1×
- 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 | $180 | +$120 | +$95.02 | −$4.98 |
| PSA 9 | $60.00 | +$0.01 | −$24.99 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $52.04 | −$7.95 | −$32.95 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $34.99 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% | $90.00 | +$5.01 |
| 50% | $120 | +$35.01 |
| 75% | $150 | +$65.02 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. 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 | $234 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $180 | −$53.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $108 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $108 | −$126 | 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.
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Tony Gwynn [Refractor] #LD12 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vJ8AAeSwqlBqlZ4J/s-l500.jpg)
![Alex Rodriguez [Refractor] #LD7 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/T20AAeSw5hJqqZvu/s-l500.jpg)
![Sammy Sosa [Refractor] #LD3 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/szUAAeSwXz1qse39/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Refractor] #LD4 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WXEAAeSwXFlqqFXb/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 sells for $180 against $34.99 raw: a $145 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome Lords of the Diamond) sells for about $180 versus $34.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.1× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $234, ahead of PSA 10 at $180. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 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 [Refractor] #LD5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire [Refractor] #LD5 breaks even when it gems about 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $60.00).
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