Is Yao Ming #53 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2002 Topps Pristine · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #53 sells for $168 against $49.99 raw: a $118 spread, 3.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.00) 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)
- $49.99
- PSA 10
- $168
- PSA 9
- $52.00
- Gem premium
- 3.4×
- 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 | $168 | +$92.61 | +$67.61 | −$32.39 |
| PSA 9 | $52.00 | −$22.99 | −$47.99 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $30.00 | −$44.99 | −$69.99 | −$170 |
Net = sale price − $49.99 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% | $80.90 | −$19.09 |
| 50% | $110 | +$9.81 |
| 75% | $139 | +$38.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 42%. 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 | $218 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $168 | −$50.40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $101 | −$117 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $101 | −$117 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Yao Ming #53 — FAQ
Is Yao Ming #53 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #53 sells for $168 against $49.99 raw: a $118 spread, 3.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.00) 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 #53 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming #53 (Basketball Cards 2002 Topps Pristine) sells for about $168 versus $49.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.4× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Yao Ming #53?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $218, ahead of PSA 10 at $168. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Yao Ming #53 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 #53 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Yao Ming #53 breaks even when it gems about 42% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.00).
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