Is Dwight Howard #221 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2004 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 27× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dwight Howard #221 sells for $55.00 against $2.01 raw: a $52.99 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.20) 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)
- $2.01
- PSA 10
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $19.20
- Gem premium
- 27×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $55.00 | +$27.99 | +$2.99 | −$97.01 |
| PSA 9 | $19.20 | −$7.81 | −$32.81 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $4.25 | −$22.76 | −$47.76 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $2.01 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% | $28.15 | −$23.86 |
| 50% | $37.10 | −$14.91 |
| 75% | $46.05 | −$5.96 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 92%. 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 | $72.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $55.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.00 | −$39.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $22.50 | −$49.50 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $55.00 | $33.00 | $72.00 | $22.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $21.51 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.20 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $4.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2004 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading Dwight Howard #221 — FAQ
Is Dwight Howard #221 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dwight Howard #221 sells for $55.00 against $2.01 raw: a $52.99 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.20) 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 Dwight Howard #221 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dwight Howard #221 (Basketball Cards 2004 Topps) sells for about $55.00 versus $2.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dwight Howard #221?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $72.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $55.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dwight Howard #221 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 Dwight Howard #221 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dwight Howard #221 breaks even when it gems about 92% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.20).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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