Is Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Retro · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 sells for $274 against $11.47 raw: a $262 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($53.76) 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)
- $11.47
- PSA 10
- $274
- PSA 9
- $53.76
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $274 | +$237 | +$212 | +$112 |
| PSA 9 | $53.76 | +$17.29 | −$7.71 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $27.13 | −$9.34 | −$34.34 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $11.47 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% | $109 | +$47.26 |
| 50% | $164 | +$102 |
| 75% | $219 | +$157 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $356 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $274 | −$82.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $164 | −$192 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $164 | −$192 | 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 1999 Upper Deck Retro cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 — FAQ
Is Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 sells for $274 against $11.47 raw: a $262 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($53.76) 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 Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 (Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Retro) sells for about $274 versus $11.47 for a raw near-mint copy — a 24× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $356, ahead of PSA 10 at $274. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 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 Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Wilt Chamberlain [Gold] #55 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $53.76).
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