Is Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1985 Star · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 sells for $98.27 against $14.99 raw: a $83.28 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($61.00) 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)
- $14.99
- Grade 9.5
- $98.27
- PSA 9
- $61.00
- Gem premium
- 6.6×
- 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 | $98.27 | +$58.28 | +$33.28 | −$66.72 |
| PSA 9 | $61.00 | +$21.01 | −$3.99 | −$104 |
| PSA 8 | $39.94 | −$0.05 | −$25.05 | −$125 |
Net = sale price − $14.99 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% | $70.32 | +$5.33 |
| 50% | $79.63 | +$14.64 |
| 75% | $88.95 | +$23.96 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 11%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 — FAQ
Is Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 sells for $98.27 against $14.99 raw: a $83.28 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($61.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kevin McHale [Green Border] #98 breaks even when it gems about 11% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $61.00).
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