Is Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Bowman's Best Rookie · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 sell for $12.98, only $11.77 above the $1.21 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.21
- PSA 10
- $12.98
- PSA 9
- $8.25
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $12.98 | −$13.23 | −$38.23 | −$138 |
| PSA 9 | $8.25 | −$17.96 | −$42.96 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $5.00 | −$21.21 | −$46.21 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.21 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% | $9.43 | −$41.78 |
| 50% | $10.62 | −$40.59 |
| 75% | $11.80 | −$39.41 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $17.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $12.98 | −$4.02 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $8.00 | −$9.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $8.00 | −$9.00 | 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 1996 Bowman's Best Rookie cards worth checking
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![Allen Iverson [Atomic Refractor] #R1 1996 Bowman's Best Rookie card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CkgAAeSwGMxqoA9A/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 — FAQ
Is Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 sell for $12.98, only $11.77 above the $1.21 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 (Basketball Cards 1996 Bowman's Best Rookie) sells for about $12.98 versus $1.21 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $17.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $12.98. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shareef Abdur-Rahim #R3 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.
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