![Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GUYAAeSwnIhqKJQt/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 sells for $88.63 against $7.01 raw: a $81.62 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.00) 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)
- $7.01
- PSA 10
- $88.63
- PSA 9
- $21.00
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $88.63 | +$56.62 | +$31.62 | −$68.38 |
| PSA 9 | $21.00 | −$11.01 | −$36.01 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $19.24 | −$12.77 | −$37.77 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $7.01 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% | $37.91 | −$19.10 |
| 50% | $54.81 | −$2.20 |
| 75% | $71.72 | +$14.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $115 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $88.63 | −$26.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $53.00 | −$62.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $53.00 | −$62.00 | 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 | $88.63 | $53.00 | $115 | $53.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $64.75 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.24 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $15.50 |
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 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 sells for $88.63 against $7.01 raw: a $81.62 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.00) 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 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $88.63 versus $7.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $115, ahead of PSA 10 at $88.63. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 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 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.00).
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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