Is Willie Mays #13 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Willie Mays · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #13 sells for $66.00 against $10.00 raw: a $56.00 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.63) 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)
- $10.00
- PSA 10
- $66.00
- PSA 9
- $54.63
- Gem premium
- 6.6×
- 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 | $66.00 | +$31.00 | +$6.00 | −$94.00 |
| PSA 9 | $54.63 | +$19.63 | −$5.37 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $26.76 | −$8.24 | −$33.24 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $10.00 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% | $57.47 | −$2.53 |
| 50% | $60.31 | +$0.31 |
| 75% | $63.16 | +$3.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $86.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $66.00 | −$20.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 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.
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Other 1997 Topps Willie Mays cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Willie Mays #13 — FAQ
Is Willie Mays #13 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #13 sells for $66.00 against $10.00 raw: a $56.00 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.63) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Willie Mays #13 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Mays #13 (Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Willie Mays) sells for about $66.00 versus $10.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.6× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Mays #13?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $86.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $66.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Mays #13 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 Willie Mays #13 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Willie Mays #13 breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $54.63).
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