![Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Opening Day) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5zYAAeSw9zVqSOsB/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Opening Day · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 sells for $41.00 against $4.99 raw: a $36.01 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.03) 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)
- $4.99
- PSA 10
- $41.00
- PSA 9
- $34.03
- Gem premium
- 8.2×
- 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 | $41.00 | +$11.01 | −$13.99 | −$114 |
| PSA 9 | $34.03 | +$4.04 | −$20.96 | −$121 |
Net = sale price − $4.99 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% | $35.77 | −$19.22 |
| 50% | $37.52 | −$17.48 |
| 75% | $39.26 | −$15.73 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $53.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $41.00 | −$12.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $25.00 | −$28.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $25.00 | −$28.00 | 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 | $41.00 | $25.00 | $53.00 | $25.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $37.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $34.03 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps Opening Day cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Sammy Sosa [Home Run #66] #164 1999 Topps Opening Day card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/liwAAeSwimlqazv7/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 sells for $41.00 against $4.99 raw: a $36.01 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.03) 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 [Home Run #70] #163 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Opening Day) sells for about $41.00 versus $4.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $53.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $41.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire [Home Run #70] #163 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.
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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