Is Wilt Chamberlain #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Foot Locker Slam Fest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain #1 sells for $54.78 against $1.75 raw: a $53.03 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($5.38) 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)
- $1.75
- PSA 10
- $54.78
- PSA 9
- $5.38
- Gem premium
- 31×
- 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 | $54.78 | +$28.03 | +$3.03 | −$96.97 |
| PSA 9 | $5.38 | −$21.37 | −$46.37 | −$146 |
| PSA 8 | $2.25 | −$24.50 | −$49.50 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $1.75 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% | $17.73 | −$34.02 |
| 50% | $30.08 | −$21.67 |
| 75% | $42.43 | −$9.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 94%. 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 | $71.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $54.78 | −$16.22 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 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.
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Other 1991 Foot Locker Slam Fest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Wilt Chamberlain #1 — FAQ
Is Wilt Chamberlain #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain #1 sells for $54.78 against $1.75 raw: a $53.03 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($5.38) 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 Wilt Chamberlain #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Wilt Chamberlain #1 (Basketball Cards 1991 Foot Locker Slam Fest) sells for about $54.78 versus $1.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Wilt Chamberlain #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $71.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $54.78. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Wilt Chamberlain #1 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 Wilt Chamberlain #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Wilt Chamberlain #1 breaks even when it gems about 94% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $5.38).
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