Is Mark McGwire #223 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Mark McGwire #223 sell for $20.99, only $19.50 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $20.99
- PSA 9
- $11.00
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $20.99 | −$5.50 | −$30.50 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $11.00 | −$15.49 | −$40.49 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $7.91 | −$18.58 | −$43.58 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $13.50 | −$37.99 |
| 50% | $15.99 | −$35.50 |
| 75% | $18.49 | −$33.00 |
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 | $27.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $20.99 | −$6.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $13.00 | −$14.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.00 | −$14.00 | 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 | $20.99 | $13.00 | $27.00 | $13.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $21.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.91 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 1999 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/enMAAOSwv9pndyBt/s-l500.jpg)
![Sammy Sosa [HR 32] #461 1999 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-nkAAeSwQw5qUroT/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mark McGwire #223 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #223 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Mark McGwire #223 sell for $20.99, only $19.50 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Mark McGwire #223 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #223 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps) sells for about $20.99 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire #223?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $27.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $20.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire #223 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.
Check my card free