Is David Robinson #538 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Skybox · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 40× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 David Robinson #538 sells for $75.57 against $1.88 raw: a $73.69 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
- $1.88
- PSA 10
- $75.57
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 40×
- 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 | $75.57 | +$48.69 | +$23.69 | −$76.31 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$6.89 | −$31.89 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $5.62 | −$21.26 | −$46.26 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.88 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% | $33.88 | −$18.00 |
| 50% | $47.78 | −$4.10 |
| 75% | $61.67 | +$9.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 57%. 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 | $98.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $75.57 | −$22.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$53.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$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.
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Grading David Robinson #538 — FAQ
Is David Robinson #538 worth grading?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #538 sells for $75.57 against $1.88 raw: a $73.69 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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 David Robinson #538 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #538 (Basketball Cards 1991 Skybox) sells for about $75.57 versus $1.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 40× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for David Robinson #538?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $98.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $75.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does David Robinson #538 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 David Robinson #538 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Robinson #538 breaks even when it gems about 57% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.99).
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