Is Yao Ming #51 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2002 Topps Pristine · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #51 sells for $95.53 against $15.00 raw: a $80.53 spread, 6.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($36.01) 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)
- $15.00
- PSA 10
- $95.53
- PSA 9
- $36.01
- Gem premium
- 6.4×
- 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 | $95.53 | +$55.53 | +$30.53 | −$69.47 |
| PSA 9 | $36.01 | −$3.99 | −$28.99 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $14.51 | −$25.49 | −$50.49 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $15.00 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% | $50.89 | −$14.11 |
| 50% | $65.77 | +$0.77 |
| 75% | $80.65 | +$15.65 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $221 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $95.53 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$164 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$164 | 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 Yao Ming #51 — FAQ
Is Yao Ming #51 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #51 sells for $95.53 against $15.00 raw: a $80.53 spread, 6.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($36.01) 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 #51 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #51 (Basketball Cards 2002 Topps Pristine) sells for about $95.53 versus $15.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.4× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Yao Ming #51?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $221, ahead of PSA 10 at $95.53. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Yao Ming #51 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 #51 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Yao Ming #51 breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $36.01).
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