Is Shawn Kemp #173 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #173 sells for $61.00 against $1.58 raw: a $59.42 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.51) 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)
- $1.58
- PSA 10
- $61.00
- PSA 9
- $16.51
- Gem premium
- 39×
- 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 | $61.00 | +$34.42 | +$9.42 | −$90.58 |
| PSA 9 | $16.51 | −$10.07 | −$35.07 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $6.96 | −$19.62 | −$44.62 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.58 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% | $27.63 | −$23.95 |
| 50% | $38.76 | −$12.82 |
| 75% | $49.88 | −$1.70 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 79%. 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 | $79.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 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 | $61.00 | $37.00 | $79.00 | $37.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $34.80 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.51 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.96 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.17 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Shawn Kemp #173 — FAQ
Is Shawn Kemp #173 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #173 sells for $61.00 against $1.58 raw: a $59.42 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.51) 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 Shawn Kemp #173 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #173 (Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck) sells for about $61.00 versus $1.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shawn Kemp #173?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $79.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shawn Kemp #173 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 Shawn Kemp #173 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shawn Kemp #173 breaks even when it gems about 79% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.51).
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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