Is Tim Duncan worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Skybox Premium 3D's · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Tim Duncan sells for $692 against $183 raw: a $510 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($500) 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)
- $183
- Grade 9.5
- $692
- PSA 9
- $500
- Gem premium
- 3.8×
- 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 | $692 | +$485 | +$460 | +$360 |
| PSA 9 | $500 | +$293 | +$268 | +$168 |
| PSA 8 | $239 | +$31.85 | +$6.85 | −$93.15 |
Net = sale price − $183 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% | $548 | +$316 |
| 50% | $596 | +$364 |
| 75% | $644 | +$412 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Tim Duncan — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Tim Duncan sells for $692 against $183 raw: a $510 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($500) 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.
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