![Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 (Basketball Cards 2004 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jW0AAeSwKEhqtZKz/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2004 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 sells for $476 against $125 raw: a $351 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($126) 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)
- $125
- PSA 10
- $476
- PSA 9
- $126
- Gem premium
- 3.8×
- 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 | $476 | +$326 | +$301 | +$201 |
| PSA 9 | $126 | −$24.03 | −$49.03 | −$149 |
| PSA 8 | $122 | −$28.44 | −$53.44 | −$153 |
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% | $213 | +$38.42 |
| 50% | $301 | +$126 |
| 75% | $388 | +$213 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $619 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $476 | −$143 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $285 | −$334 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $285 | −$334 | 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 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 sells for $476 against $125 raw: a $351 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($126) 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 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 (Basketball Cards 2004 Topps Chrome) sells for about $476 versus $125 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $619, ahead of PSA 10 at $476. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 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 Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Duncan [Black Refractor] #50 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $126).
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