![Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/enMAAOSwv9pndyBt/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 104× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 sells for $570 against $5.50 raw: a $564 spread, 104× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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)
- $5.50
- PSA 10
- $570
- PSA 9
- $14.95
- Gem premium
- 104×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $570 | +$539 | +$514 | +$414 |
| PSA 9 | $14.95 | −$15.55 | −$40.55 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $7.40 | −$23.10 | −$48.10 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $5.50 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% | $154 | +$98.10 |
| 50% | $292 | +$237 |
| 75% | $431 | +$375 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 7%. 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 | $740 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $570 | −$170 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $342 | −$398 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $342 | −$398 | 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.
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Grading Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 sells for $570 against $5.50 raw: a $564 spread, 104× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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 [HR 42] #220 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 (Baseball Cards 1999 Topps) sells for about $570 versus $5.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 104× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $740, ahead of PSA 10 at $570. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 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 [HR 42] #220 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark McGwire [HR 42] #220 breaks even when it gems about 7% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.95).
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