Is Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2006 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 sells for $159 against $22.38 raw: a $136 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.00) 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)
- $22.38
- PSA 10
- $159
- PSA 9
- $51.00
- Gem premium
- 7.1×
- 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 | $159 | +$111 | +$86.37 | −$13.63 |
| PSA 9 | $51.00 | +$3.62 | −$21.38 | −$121 |
| PSA 8 | $50.00 | +$2.62 | −$22.38 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $22.38 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% | $77.94 | +$5.56 |
| 50% | $105 | +$32.50 |
| 75% | $132 | +$59.43 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $206 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $159 | −$47.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $95.00 | −$111 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $95.00 | −$111 | 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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Grading Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 — FAQ
Is Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 sells for $159 against $22.38 raw: a $136 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.00) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 (Basketball Cards 2006 Finest) sells for about $159 versus $22.38 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.1× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $206, ahead of PSA 10 at $159. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #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 [Blue Refractor] #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carmelo Anthony [Blue Refractor] #1 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $51.00).
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