Is Sam Cassell #254 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1993 Ultra · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 60× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sam Cassell #254 sells for $68.75 against $1.15 raw: a $67.60 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.43) 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)
- $1.15
- PSA 10
- $68.75
- PSA 9
- $17.43
- Gem premium
- 60×
- 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 | $68.75 | +$42.60 | +$17.60 | −$82.40 |
| PSA 9 | $17.43 | −$8.72 | −$33.72 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $8.14 | −$18.01 | −$43.01 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.15 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% | $30.26 | −$20.89 |
| 50% | $43.09 | −$8.06 |
| 75% | $55.92 | +$4.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 66%. 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 | $89.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.75 | −$20.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 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 Cassell #254 — FAQ
Is Sam Cassell #254 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam Cassell #254 sells for $68.75 against $1.15 raw: a $67.60 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.43) 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 Cassell #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam Cassell #254 (Basketball Cards 1993 Ultra) sells for about $68.75 versus $1.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 60× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam Cassell #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $89.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.75. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam Cassell #254 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 Cassell #254 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam Cassell #254 breaks even when it gems about 66% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.43).
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