![Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 (Basketball Cards 2003 Bowman) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/V9UAAeSwkFNpxeR1/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 sells for $204 against $16.00 raw: a $188 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.00) 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)
- $16.00
- PSA 10
- $204
- PSA 9
- $41.00
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $204 | +$163 | +$138 | +$38.38 |
| PSA 9 | $41.00 | +$0.00 | −$25.00 | −$125 |
Net = sale price − $16.00 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% | $81.84 | +$15.84 |
| 50% | $123 | +$56.69 |
| 75% | $164 | +$97.53 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $266 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $204 | −$61.62 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $123 | −$143 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $123 | −$143 | 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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Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Other 2003 Bowman cards worth checking
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![LeBron James [Chrome Xfractor] #123 2003 Bowman card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EQQAAeSwu45oO5dh/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 — FAQ
Is Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 sells for $204 against $16.00 raw: a $188 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.00) 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 Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 (Basketball Cards 2003 Bowman) sells for about $204 versus $16.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $266, ahead of PSA 10 at $204. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Yao Ming [Chrome 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 Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Yao Ming [Chrome Refractor] #1 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $41.00).
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