![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 — 14× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16 sells for $95.77 against $6.63 raw: a $89.14 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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)
- $6.63
- PSA 10
- $95.77
- PSA 9
- $20.00
- Gem premium
- 14×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $95.77 | +$64.14 | +$39.14 | −$60.86 |
| PSA 9 | $20.00 | −$11.63 | −$36.63 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $18.51 | −$13.12 | −$38.12 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $6.63 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% | $38.94 | −$17.69 |
| 50% | $57.88 | +$1.25 |
| 75% | $76.83 | +$20.20 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 48%. 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 | $125 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $95.77 | −$29.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$68.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$68.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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 →![Ray Allen [Refractor] #SB9 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KosAAeSwnzxplM1R/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)
![Kevin Garnett [Refractor] #SB12 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QsIAAeSwQjlqGh3x/s-l500.jpg)
![Tim Duncan [Refractor] #SB17 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hXIAAeSwgBVozIft/s-l500.jpg)
![Tim Duncan [Refractor] #SB26 1998 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/khMAAeSwPiNpSGT5/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 $95.77 against $6.63 raw: a $89.14 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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 $95.77 versus $6.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone [Refractor] #SB16?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $125, ahead of PSA 10 at $95.77. 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 48% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.00).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
