Is Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 44× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 sells for $67.44 against $1.54 raw: a $65.90 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($0.99) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.54
- PSA 10
- $67.44
- PSA 9
- $0.99
- Gem premium
- 44×
- 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 | $67.44 | +$40.90 | +$15.90 | −$84.10 |
| PSA 9 | $0.99 | −$25.55 | −$50.55 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $1.54 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% | $17.60 | −$33.94 |
| 50% | $34.21 | −$17.33 |
| 75% | $50.83 | −$0.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 | $88.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $67.44 | −$20.56 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$48.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 — FAQ
Is Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 sells for $67.44 against $1.54 raw: a $65.90 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($0.99) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 (Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest) sells for about $67.44 versus $1.54 for a raw near-mint copy — a 44× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $88.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $67.44. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 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 Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carmelo Anthony [Gold] #SQ-1 breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $0.99).
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