Is John McEnroe [Mini Black Border] #40 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of John McEnroe [Mini Black Border] #40 sell for $22.00, only $20.51 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.56) 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
- Grade 9.5
- $22.00
- PSA 9
- $19.56
- Gem premium
- 15×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $22.00 | −$4.49 | −$29.49 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $19.56 | −$6.93 | −$31.93 | −$132 |
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% | $20.17 | −$31.32 |
| 50% | $20.78 | −$30.71 |
| 75% | $21.39 | −$30.10 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Other 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter cards worth checking
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Grading John McEnroe [Mini Black Border] #40 — FAQ
Is John McEnroe [Mini Black Border] #40 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of John McEnroe [Mini Black Border] #40 sell for $22.00, only $20.51 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.56) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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