Is Chauncey Billups [Gold Refractor] #42 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2004 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Chauncey Billups [Gold Refractor] #42 sell for $89.00, only $0.00 above the $125 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($81.09) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $125
- Grade 9.5
- $89.00
- PSA 9
- $81.09
- Gem premium
- 0.7×
- 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 | $89.00 | −$60.50 | −$85.50 | −$186 |
| PSA 9 | $81.09 | −$68.41 | −$93.41 | −$193 |
Net = sale price − $125 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% | $83.07 | −$91.43 |
| 50% | $85.05 | −$89.45 |
| 75% | $87.02 | −$87.48 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Chauncey Billups [Gold Refractor] #42 — FAQ
Is Chauncey Billups [Gold Refractor] #42 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Chauncey Billups [Gold Refractor] #42 sell for $89.00, only $0.00 above the $125 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($81.09) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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