Is Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps East West · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 sells for $176 against $27.88 raw: a $148 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($46.00) 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)
- $27.88
- PSA 10
- $176
- PSA 9
- $46.00
- Gem premium
- 6.3×
- 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 | $176 | +$123 | +$98.48 | −$1.52 |
| PSA 9 | $46.00 | −$6.88 | −$31.88 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $23.75 | −$29.13 | −$54.13 | −$154 |
Net = sale price − $27.88 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% | $78.59 | +$0.71 |
| 50% | $111 | +$33.30 |
| 75% | $144 | +$65.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $229 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $176 | −$52.64 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $89.99 | −$139 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $55.00 | −$174 | 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.
Other 1998 Topps East West cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Brevin Knight, Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #EW12 1998 Topps East West card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3LgAAeSwifRnsitb/s-l500.jpg)
![Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #EW7 1998 Topps East West card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oLcAAeSwqWhqPZzQ/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 — FAQ
Is Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 sells for $176 against $27.88 raw: a $148 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($46.00) 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 Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps East West) sells for about $176 versus $27.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.3× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $229, ahead of PSA 10 at $176. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 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 Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Allen Iverson, Gary Payton #EW9 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $46.00).
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