Is Steve Smith [Silver] #6 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Metal Universe Reebok · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Silver] #6 sells for $81.43 against $2.00 raw: a $79.43 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.92) 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)
- $2.00
- PSA 10
- $81.43
- PSA 9
- $18.92
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $81.43 | +$54.43 | +$29.43 | −$70.57 |
| PSA 9 | $18.92 | −$8.08 | −$33.08 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $9.35 | −$17.65 | −$42.65 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $2.00 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% | $34.55 | −$17.45 |
| 50% | $50.18 | −$1.82 |
| 75% | $65.80 | +$13.80 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $106 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $81.43 | −$24.57 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 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 Metal Universe Reebok cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Steve Smith [Silver] #6 — FAQ
Is Steve Smith [Silver] #6 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Silver] #6 sells for $81.43 against $2.00 raw: a $79.43 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.92) 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 Steve Smith [Silver] #6 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Silver] #6 (Basketball Cards 1997 Metal Universe Reebok) sells for about $81.43 versus $2.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Smith [Silver] #6?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $106, ahead of PSA 10 at $81.43. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Smith [Silver] #6 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 Steve Smith [Silver] #6 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Smith [Silver] #6 breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.92).
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