Is Karl Malone #225 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #225 sells for $69.54 against $1.41 raw: a $68.13 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.25) 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)
- $1.41
- PSA 10
- $69.54
- PSA 9
- $14.25
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $69.54 | +$43.13 | +$18.13 | −$81.87 |
| PSA 9 | $14.25 | −$12.16 | −$37.16 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $6.63 | −$19.78 | −$44.78 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.41 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% | $28.07 | −$23.34 |
| 50% | $41.90 | −$9.51 |
| 75% | $55.72 | +$4.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 67%. 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 | $90.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $69.54 | −$20.46 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$48.00 | 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.
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Grading Karl Malone #225 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #225 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #225 sells for $69.54 against $1.41 raw: a $68.13 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.25) 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 #225 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #225 (Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal) sells for about $69.54 versus $1.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone #225?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $90.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $69.54. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone #225 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 #225 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone #225 breaks even when it gems about 67% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.25).
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