Is Don Mattingly #31 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Archives Reserve · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #31 sells for $86.87 against $4.82 raw: a $82.05 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.03) 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)
- $4.82
- PSA 10
- $86.87
- PSA 9
- $21.03
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $86.87 | +$57.05 | +$32.05 | −$67.95 |
| PSA 9 | $21.03 | −$8.79 | −$33.79 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $10.97 | −$18.85 | −$43.85 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $4.82 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% | $37.49 | −$17.33 |
| 50% | $53.95 | −$0.87 |
| 75% | $70.41 | +$15.59 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 51%. 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 | $113 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $86.87 | −$26.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 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 | $86.87 | $52.00 | $113 | $52.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $36.42 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.03 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.97 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2002 Topps Archives Reserve cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Don Mattingly #31 — FAQ
Is Don Mattingly #31 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #31 sells for $86.87 against $4.82 raw: a $82.05 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.03) 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 Don Mattingly #31 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Mattingly #31 (Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Archives Reserve) sells for about $86.87 versus $4.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Mattingly #31?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $113, ahead of PSA 10 at $86.87. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Mattingly #31 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 Don Mattingly #31 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Mattingly #31 breaks even when it gems about 51% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.03).
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