Is Mark McGwire #13 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Ultra Thunderclap · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire #13 sells for $164 against $27.42 raw: a $137 spread, 6.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($149) 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)
- $27.42
- Grade 9.5
- $164
- PSA 9
- $149
- Gem premium
- 6.0×
- 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 | $164 | +$112 | +$86.58 | −$13.42 |
| PSA 9 | $149 | +$96.58 | +$71.58 | −$28.42 |
| PSA 8 | $40.00 | −$12.42 | −$37.42 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $27.42 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% | $153 | +$75.33 |
| 50% | $157 | +$79.08 |
| 75% | $160 | +$82.83 |
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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Grading Mark McGwire #13 — FAQ
Is Mark McGwire #13 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mark McGwire #13 sells for $164 against $27.42 raw: a $137 spread, 6.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($149) 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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