![Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lhQAAeSwvU5qT7Ln/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 33× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 sells for $101 against $3.06 raw: a $97.49 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.00) 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)
- $3.06
- PSA 10
- $101
- PSA 9
- $28.00
- Gem premium
- 33×
- 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 | $101 | +$72.49 | +$47.49 | −$52.51 |
| PSA 9 | $28.00 | −$0.06 | −$25.06 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $25.00 | −$3.06 | −$28.06 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $3.06 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% | $46.14 | −$6.92 |
| 50% | $64.28 | +$11.22 |
| 75% | $82.41 | +$29.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. 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 | $131 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $101 | −$30.45 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$71.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$71.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $101 | $60.00 | $131 | $60.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $39.50 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $28.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $25.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Bobby Jackson [Refractor] #SB30 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1OsAAeSwgH9pr6ty/s-l500.jpg)
![Glenn Robinson [Refractor] #SB14 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BQkAAeSw28ppxZm6/s-l500.jpg)
![Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #SB13 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4scAAeSwRfVqIxaC/s-l500.jpg)
![Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #SB25 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6UcAAeSwAY9qY7xE/s-l500.jpg)
![Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #SB21 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CpEAAeSwnN9qYyyV/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 — FAQ
Is Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 sells for $101 against $3.06 raw: a $97.49 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.00) 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 Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $101 versus $3.06 for a raw near-mint copy — a 33× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $131, ahead of PSA 10 at $101. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 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 Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Smith [Refractor] #SB8 breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.00).
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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