Is Ausar Thompson [Blue] #5 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 2023 Donruss Optic The Rookies · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Ausar Thompson [Blue] #5 sell for $23.00, only $3.01 above the $19.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.04) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM): $19.99
Grade 9.5: $23.00
PSA 9: $21.04
Gem premium: 1.2×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Ausar Thompson [Blue] #5: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$23.00	−$21.99	−$46.99	−$147
PSA 9	$21.04	−$23.95	−$48.95	−$149

Net = sale price − $19.99 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?

Ausar Thompson [Blue] #5: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$21.53	−$48.46
50%	$22.02	−$47.97
75%	$22.51	−$47.48

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Ausar Thompson [Blue] #5 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$23.00
9	$21.04

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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