Is Shawn Kemp #42 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Flair USA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 40× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #42 sells for $59.00 against $1.49 raw: a $57.51 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.26) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $59.00
- PSA 9
- $18.26
- Gem premium
- 40×
- 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 | $59.00 | +$32.51 | +$7.51 | −$92.49 |
| PSA 9 | $18.26 | −$8.23 | −$33.23 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $8.85 | −$17.64 | −$42.64 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $28.45 | −$23.04 |
| 50% | $38.63 | −$12.86 |
| 75% | $48.81 | −$2.68 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 82%. 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 | $77.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$42.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1994 Flair USA cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Shawn Kemp #42 — FAQ
Is Shawn Kemp #42 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #42 sells for $59.00 against $1.49 raw: a $57.51 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.26) 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 Shawn Kemp #42 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shawn Kemp #42 (Basketball Cards 1994 Flair USA) sells for about $59.00 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 40× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shawn Kemp #42?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $77.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shawn Kemp #42 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 Shawn Kemp #42 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shawn Kemp #42 breaks even when it gems about 82% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.26).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
