Is Shawn Kemp [Precious] #242 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Shawn Kemp [Precious] #242 sells for $426 against $1.50 raw: a $425 spread, 284× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($387) 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): $1.50
Grade 9.5: $426
PSA 9: $387
Gem premium: 284×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Shawn Kemp [Precious] #242: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$426	+$400	+$375	+$275
PSA 9	$387	+$361	+$336	+$236
PSA 8	$352	+$325	+$300	+$200

Net = sale price − $1.50 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?

Shawn Kemp [Precious] #242: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$397	+$345
50%	$407	+$355
75%	$416	+$365

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Shawn Kemp [Precious] #242 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$426
9	$387
8	$352

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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