Is Karl Malone #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Ultra All NBA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 55× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #1 sells for $75.77 against $1.38 raw: a $74.39 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.65) 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)
- $1.38
- PSA 10
- $75.77
- PSA 9
- $17.65
- Gem premium
- 55×
- 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 | $75.77 | +$49.39 | +$24.39 | −$75.61 |
| PSA 9 | $17.65 | −$8.73 | −$33.73 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $8.57 | −$17.81 | −$42.81 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.38 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% | $32.18 | −$19.20 |
| 50% | $46.71 | −$4.67 |
| 75% | $61.24 | +$9.86 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $99.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $75.77 | −$23.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$54.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$54.00 | 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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Grading Karl Malone #1 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #1 sells for $75.77 against $1.38 raw: a $74.39 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.65) 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 Karl Malone #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #1 (Basketball Cards 1994 Ultra All NBA) sells for about $75.77 versus $1.38 for a raw near-mint copy — a 55× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $99.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $75.77. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone #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 Karl Malone #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone #1 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.65).
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