Is Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Bowman's Best Techniques · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 34× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 sells for $142 against $4.25 raw: a $138 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.60) 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)
- $4.25
- PSA 10
- $142
- PSA 9
- $14.60
- Gem premium
- 34×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $142 | +$113 | +$88.17 | −$11.83 |
| PSA 9 | $14.60 | −$14.65 | −$39.65 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $10.50 | −$18.75 | −$43.75 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $4.25 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% | $46.55 | −$7.70 |
| 50% | $78.51 | +$24.26 |
| 75% | $110 | +$56.22 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 31%. 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 | $185 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $142 | −$42.58 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $85.00 | −$100 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $85.00 | −$100 | 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.
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Grading Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 — FAQ
Is Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 sells for $142 against $4.25 raw: a $138 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.60) 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] #T5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 (Basketball Cards 1997 Bowman's Best Techniques) sells for about $142 versus $4.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 34× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $185, ahead of PSA 10 at $142. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 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] #T5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Payton [Refractor] #T5 breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.60).
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