Is Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 sells for $124 against $18.26 raw: a $106 spread, 6.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.99) 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)
- $18.26
- PSA 10
- $124
- PSA 9
- $34.99
- Gem premium
- 6.8×
- 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 | $124 | +$81.13 | +$56.13 | −$43.87 |
| PSA 9 | $34.99 | −$8.27 | −$33.27 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $18.26 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% | $57.34 | −$10.92 |
| 50% | $79.69 | +$11.43 |
| 75% | $102 | +$33.78 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 | $162 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $124 | −$37.61 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $75.00 | −$87.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $75.00 | −$87.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #125 1999 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/omEAAeSwJ6NqHNRb/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 — FAQ
Is Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 sells for $124 against $18.26 raw: a $106 spread, 6.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.99) 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 Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 (Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome) sells for about $124 versus $18.26 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.8× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Payton [Refractor] #251?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $162, ahead of PSA 10 at $124. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 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 Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Payton [Refractor] #251 breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.99).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
