Is Stephon Marbury #5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Metal Universe Titanium · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Stephon Marbury #5 sells for $102 against $51.73 raw: a $50.27 spread, 2.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($92.75) 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)
- $51.73
- Grade 9.5
- $102
- PSA 9
- $92.75
- Gem premium
- 2.0×
- 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 | $102 | +$25.27 | +$0.27 | −$99.73 |
| PSA 9 | $92.75 | +$16.02 | −$8.98 | −$109 |
| PSA 8 | $69.00 | −$7.73 | −$32.73 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $51.73 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% | $95.06 | −$6.67 |
| 50% | $97.38 | −$4.35 |
| 75% | $99.69 | −$2.04 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 97%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Stephon Marbury #5 — FAQ
Is Stephon Marbury #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Stephon Marbury #5 sells for $102 against $51.73 raw: a $50.27 spread, 2.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($92.75) 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 Stephon Marbury #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Stephon Marbury #5 breaks even when it gems about 97% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $92.75).
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