Is Karl Malone #535 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Skybox · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #535 sells for $71.43 against $1.59 raw: a $69.84 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.50) 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)
- $1.59
- PSA 10
- $71.43
- PSA 9
- $20.50
- Gem premium
- 45×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $71.43 | +$44.84 | +$19.84 | −$80.16 |
| PSA 9 | $20.50 | −$6.09 | −$31.09 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $7.68 | −$18.91 | −$43.91 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.59 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% | $33.23 | −$18.36 |
| 50% | $45.97 | −$5.63 |
| 75% | $58.70 | +$7.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 61%. 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 | $93.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $71.43 | −$21.57 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$53.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $71.43 | $43.00 | $93.00 | $40.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $32.50 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.68 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Karl Malone #535 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #535 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #535 sells for $71.43 against $1.59 raw: a $69.84 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.50) 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 Karl Malone #535 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #535 (Basketball Cards 1991 Skybox) sells for about $71.43 versus $1.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone #535?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $93.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $71.43. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone #535 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 Karl Malone #535 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone #535 breaks even when it gems about 61% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.50).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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