Is Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 sells for $370 against $84.00 raw: a $286 spread, 4.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($94.00) 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)
- $84.00
- PSA 10
- $370
- PSA 9
- $94.00
- Gem premium
- 4.4×
- 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 | $370 | +$261 | +$236 | +$136 |
| PSA 9 | $94.00 | −$15.00 | −$40.00 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $85.00 | −$24.00 | −$49.00 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $84.00 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% | $163 | +$29.00 |
| 50% | $232 | +$98.00 |
| 75% | $301 | +$167 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $481 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $370 | −$111 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $222 | −$259 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $222 | −$259 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
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Grading Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 sells for $370 against $84.00 raw: a $286 spread, 4.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($94.00) 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 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 (Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Chrome) sells for about $370 versus $84.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.4× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $481, ahead of PSA 10 at $370. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 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 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Duncan [Refractor] #254 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $94.00).
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