Is Charles Barkley worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1988 Kenner Starting LineUp · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Charles Barkley sells for $57.00 against $4.99 raw: a $52.01 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.00) 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)
- $4.99
- Grade 9.5
- $57.00
- PSA 9
- $52.00
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $57.00 | +$27.01 | +$2.01 | −$97.99 |
| PSA 9 | $52.00 | +$22.01 | −$2.99 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $33.00 | +$3.01 | −$21.99 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $4.99 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% | $53.25 | −$1.74 |
| 50% | $54.50 | −$0.49 |
| 75% | $55.75 | +$0.76 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 60%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Charles Barkley — FAQ
Is Charles Barkley worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Charles Barkley sells for $57.00 against $4.99 raw: a $52.01 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.00) 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 Charles Barkley break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charles Barkley breaks even when it gems about 60% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.00).
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