Is Sam Bowie #138 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1993 Hoops · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 53× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sam Bowie #138 sells for $92.34 against $1.74 raw: a $90.60 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.32) 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)
- $1.74
- PSA 10
- $92.34
- PSA 9
- $20.32
- Gem premium
- 53×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $92.34 | +$65.60 | +$40.60 | −$59.40 |
| PSA 9 | $20.32 | −$6.42 | −$31.42 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $9.75 | −$16.99 | −$41.99 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.74 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% | $38.33 | −$13.41 |
| 50% | $56.33 | +$4.59 |
| 75% | $74.33 | +$22.59 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $120 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $92.34 | −$27.66 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $55.00 | −$65.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $55.00 | −$65.00 | 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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Grading Sam Bowie #138 — FAQ
Is Sam Bowie #138 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam Bowie #138 sells for $92.34 against $1.74 raw: a $90.60 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.32) 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 Sam Bowie #138 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam Bowie #138 (Basketball Cards 1993 Hoops) sells for about $92.34 versus $1.74 for a raw near-mint copy — a 53× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam Bowie #138?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $120, ahead of PSA 10 at $92.34. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam Bowie #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 Sam Bowie #138 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam Bowie #138 breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.32).
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