Is Ray Allen #RAL worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2008 Topps Signature Autographs · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ray Allen #RAL sells for $150 against $27.88 raw: a $122 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($55.00) 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)
- $27.88
- Grade 9.5
- $150
- PSA 9
- $55.00
- Gem premium
- 5.4×
- 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 | $150 | +$97.11 | +$72.11 | −$27.89 |
| PSA 9 | $55.00 | +$2.12 | −$22.88 | −$123 |
Net = sale price − $27.88 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% | $78.75 | +$0.87 |
| 50% | $102 | +$24.62 |
| 75% | $126 | +$48.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Full set checklist →Grading Ray Allen #RAL — FAQ
Is Ray Allen #RAL worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ray Allen #RAL sells for $150 against $27.88 raw: a $122 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($55.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Ray Allen #RAL break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Allen #RAL breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $55.00).
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