Is Karl Malone #14 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Skybox Premium Player · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Karl Malone #14 sells for $250 against $34.00 raw: a $216 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($120) 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)
- $34.00
- Grade 9.5
- $250
- PSA 9
- $120
- Gem premium
- 7.4×
- 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 | $250 | +$191 | +$166 | +$66.20 |
| PSA 9 | $120 | +$61.00 | +$36.00 | −$64.00 |
| PSA 8 | $48.09 | −$10.91 | −$35.91 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $34.00 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% | $153 | +$68.55 |
| 50% | $185 | +$101 |
| 75% | $218 | +$134 |
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 Karl Malone #14 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #14 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Karl Malone #14 sells for $250 against $34.00 raw: a $216 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($120) 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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