Is Gary Payton #SQ25 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 UD Choice Starquest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 53× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #SQ25 sells for $53.41 against $1.00 raw: a $52.41 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.13) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $53.41
- PSA 9
- $14.13
- Gem premium
- 53×
- 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 | $53.41 | +$27.41 | +$2.41 | −$97.59 |
| PSA 9 | $14.13 | −$11.87 | −$36.87 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $7.00 | −$19.00 | −$44.00 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $23.95 | −$27.05 |
| 50% | $33.77 | −$17.23 |
| 75% | $43.59 | −$7.41 |
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 | $69.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $53.41 | −$15.59 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.00 | −$37.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$37.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 UD Choice Starquest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Kobe Bryant [Green] #SQ13 1998 UD Choice Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6jQAAeSwGjJqT~Ae/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Red] #SQ13 1998 UD Choice Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IyIAAeSwl-1qUukf/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Green] #SQ30 1998 UD Choice Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6icAAeSwx7pqUwlv/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Gary Payton #SQ25 — FAQ
Is Gary Payton #SQ25 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #SQ25 sells for $53.41 against $1.00 raw: a $52.41 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.13) 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 Gary Payton #SQ25 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #SQ25 (Basketball Cards 1998 UD Choice Starquest) sells for about $53.41 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 53× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Payton #SQ25?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $69.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $53.41. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Payton #SQ25 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 Gary Payton #SQ25 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Payton #SQ25 breaks even when it gems about 94% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.13).
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