Is Kevin McHale #225 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Kevin McHale #225 sell for $20.57, only $19.20 above the $1.37 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.37
- PSA 10
- $20.57
- PSA 9
- $9.99
- Gem premium
- 15×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $20.57 | −$5.80 | −$30.80 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $9.99 | −$16.38 | −$41.38 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $7.99 | −$18.38 | −$43.38 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.37 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% | $12.63 | −$38.73 |
| 50% | $15.28 | −$36.09 |
| 75% | $17.93 | −$33.45 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $27.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $20.57 | −$6.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $12.00 | −$15.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $12.00 | −$15.00 | 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 Kevin McHale #225 — FAQ
Is Kevin McHale #225 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Kevin McHale #225 sell for $20.57, only $19.20 above the $1.37 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Kevin McHale #225 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kevin McHale #225 (Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck) sells for about $20.57 versus $1.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kevin McHale #225?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $27.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $20.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kevin McHale #225 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.
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