Is Ben Wallace [Gold Refractor] #9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2004 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ben Wallace [Gold Refractor] #9 sells for $206 against $89.00 raw: a $117 spread, 2.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187) 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)
- $89.00
- Grade 9.5
- $206
- PSA 9
- $187
- Gem premium
- 2.3×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $206 | +$92.00 | +$67.00 | −$33.00 |
| PSA 9 | $187 | +$73.00 | +$48.00 | −$52.00 |
| PSA 8 | $170 | +$55.95 | +$30.95 | −$69.05 |
Net = sale price − $89.00 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% | $192 | +$52.75 |
| 50% | $197 | +$57.50 |
| 75% | $201 | +$62.25 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Ben Wallace [Gold Refractor] #9 — FAQ
Is Ben Wallace [Gold Refractor] #9 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ben Wallace [Gold Refractor] #9 sells for $206 against $89.00 raw: a $117 spread, 2.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187) 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.
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