Is Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 UD Exquisite Collection · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 sells for $1,000 against $128 raw: a $873 spread, 7.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($175) 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)
- $128
- Grade 9.5
- $1,000
- PSA 9
- $175
- Gem premium
- 7.8×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $1,000 | +$848 | +$823 | +$723 |
| PSA 9 | $175 | +$22.50 | −$2.50 | −$103 |
Net = sale price − $128 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% | $381 | +$204 |
| 50% | $588 | +$410 |
| 75% | $794 | +$616 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 — FAQ
Is Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 sells for $1,000 against $128 raw: a $873 spread, 7.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($175) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Josh Howard Autograph Patch #53 breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $175).
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