Is Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 sells for $84.00 against $4.64 raw: a $79.36 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.28) 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)
- $4.64
- PSA 10
- $84.00
- PSA 9
- $14.28
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $84.00 | +$54.36 | +$29.36 | −$70.64 |
| PSA 9 | $14.28 | −$15.36 | −$40.36 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $12.00 | −$17.64 | −$42.64 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $4.64 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% | $31.71 | −$22.93 |
| 50% | $49.14 | −$5.50 |
| 75% | $66.57 | +$11.93 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.00 | −$25.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2008 Upper Deck Starquest cards worth checking
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Grading Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 — FAQ
Is Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 sells for $84.00 against $4.64 raw: a $79.36 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.28) 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 Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 (Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest) sells for about $84.00 versus $4.64 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 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 Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kevin Durant [Cyan] #SQ-9 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.28).
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