Is Joe Mauer #186 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Gallery · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Mauer #186 sells for $56.00 against $2.89 raw: a $53.11 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.00) 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)
- $2.89
- PSA 10
- $56.00
- PSA 9
- $22.00
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $56.00 | +$28.11 | +$3.11 | −$96.89 |
| PSA 9 | $22.00 | −$5.89 | −$30.89 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $19.99 | −$7.90 | −$32.90 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $2.89 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% | $30.50 | −$22.39 |
| 50% | $39.00 | −$13.89 |
| 75% | $47.50 | −$5.39 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 91%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $99.95 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $73.00 | −$26.95 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $56.00 | −$43.95 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$65.95 | 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 | $56.00 | $34.00 | $73.00 | $99.95 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $52.99 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $22.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $17.84 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2002 Topps Gallery cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Albert Pujols [Red Hat] #56 2002 Topps Gallery card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qeQAAeSwhANqEqm5/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Joe Mauer #186 — FAQ
Is Joe Mauer #186 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Mauer #186 sells for $56.00 against $2.89 raw: a $53.11 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.00) 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 Joe Mauer #186 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Mauer #186 (Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Gallery) sells for about $56.00 versus $2.89 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Mauer #186?
By resale value, SGC 10 leads at $99.95, ahead of BGS 10 at $73.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Mauer #186 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Joe Mauer #186 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Mauer #186 breaks even when it gems about 91% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.00).
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