Is David Robinson #138 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1989 Hoops · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 David Robinson #138 sells for $600 against $3.50 raw: a $596 spread, 171× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.84) 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)
- $3.50
- PSA 10
- $600
- PSA 9
- $44.84
- Gem premium
- 171×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $600 | +$571 | +$546 | +$446 |
| PSA 9 | $44.84 | +$16.34 | −$8.66 | −$109 |
| PSA 8 | $15.49 | −$13.01 | −$38.01 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $3.50 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% | $184 | +$130 |
| 50% | $322 | +$269 |
| 75% | $461 | +$407 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $1,650 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $600 | −$1,051 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $325 | −$1,325 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $121 | −$1,529 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $600 | $121 | $1,650 | $325 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $84.86 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $44.84 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.49 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $10.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading David Robinson #138 — FAQ
Is David Robinson #138 worth grading?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #138 sells for $600 against $3.50 raw: a $596 spread, 171× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.84) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 David Robinson #138 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #138 (Basketball Cards 1989 Hoops) sells for about $600 versus $3.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 171× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for David Robinson #138?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,650, ahead of PSA 10 at $600. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does David Robinson #138 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 David Robinson #138 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Robinson #138 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.84).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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