Is Ray Allen #186 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 64× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #186 sells for $90.49 against $1.42 raw: a $89.07 spread, 64× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.80) 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)
- $1.42
- PSA 10
- $90.49
- PSA 9
- $16.80
- Gem premium
- 64×
- 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 | $90.49 | +$64.07 | +$39.07 | −$60.93 |
| PSA 9 | $16.80 | −$9.62 | −$34.62 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $10.00 | −$16.42 | −$41.42 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.42 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% | $35.22 | −$16.20 |
| 50% | $53.64 | +$2.22 |
| 75% | $72.07 | +$20.65 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $118 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $90.49 | −$27.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $70.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$64.00 | 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 | $90.49 | $70.00 | $118 | $54.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $20.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.80 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.62 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Fleer Metal cards worth checking
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![Scottie Pippen [Precious Metal] #229 1996 Fleer Metal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bbgAAeSwAxtp~-8t/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Precious] #241 1996 Fleer Metal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t7YAAeSwmpVn6WE9/s-l500.jpg)
![Ray Allen [Precious Metal] #186 1996 Fleer Metal card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/k9cAAeSwcM9p6Dtd/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ray Allen #186 — FAQ
Is Ray Allen #186 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #186 sells for $90.49 against $1.42 raw: a $89.07 spread, 64× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.80) 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 Ray Allen #186 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #186 (Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal) sells for about $90.49 versus $1.42 for a raw near-mint copy — a 64× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Allen #186?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $118, ahead of PSA 10 at $90.49. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Allen #186 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 Ray Allen #186 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Allen #186 breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.80).
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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