Is Mark McGwire #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2000 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 65× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 sells for $150 against $2.30 raw: a $148 spread, 65× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.30
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $16.99
- Gem premium
- 65×
- 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 | $150 | +$123 | +$97.69 | −$2.31 |
| PSA 9 | $16.99 | −$10.31 | −$35.31 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $9.50 | −$17.80 | −$42.80 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $2.30 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% | $50.24 | −$2.06 |
| 50% | $83.49 | +$31.19 |
| 75% | $117 | +$64.44 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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 | $195 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $150 | −$45.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 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 | $150 | $90.00 | $195 | $90.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $33.06 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.32 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2000 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mark McGwire [Magic Moments 1987 Al Roy] #236 2000 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IAwAAeSw-ddo1VCe/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mark McGwire #1 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 sells for $150 against $2.30 raw: a $148 spread, 65× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire #1 (Baseball Cards 2000 Topps) sells for about $150 versus $2.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 65× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $195, ahead of PSA 10 at $150. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire #1 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire #1 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.99).
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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