Is Mark McGwire [F/X Gold] #73 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Encore · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [F/X Gold] #73 sells for $224 against $8.31 raw: a $216 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($203) 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)
- $8.31
- Grade 9.5
- $224
- PSA 9
- $203
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $224 | +$191 | +$166 | +$65.69 |
| PSA 9 | $203 | +$170 | +$145 | +$45.04 |
Net = sale price − $8.31 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% | $209 | +$150 |
| 50% | $214 | +$155 |
| 75% | $219 | +$161 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Other 1999 Upper Deck Encore cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Mark McGwire [F/X Gold] #73 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [F/X Gold] #73 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire [F/X Gold] #73 sells for $224 against $8.31 raw: a $216 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($203) 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.
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