Is Ray Allen #217 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 58× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #217 sells for $925 against $16.00 raw: a $909 spread, 58× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($38.34) 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)
- $16.00
- PSA 10
- $925
- PSA 9
- $38.34
- Gem premium
- 58×
- 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 | $925 | +$884 | +$859 | +$759 |
| PSA 9 | $38.34 | −$2.66 | −$27.66 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $23.20 | −$17.80 | −$42.80 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $16.00 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% | $260 | +$194 |
| 50% | $482 | +$416 |
| 75% | $703 | +$637 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $1,203 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $925 | −$278 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $555 | −$648 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $555 | −$648 | 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 | $925 | $555 | $1,203 | $555 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $170 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $38.34 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.20 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $19.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Vitaly Potapenko [Refractor] #172 1996 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lBMAAeSwGgJqD02C/s-l500.jpg)
![Chicago Bulls 72 Wins [Refractor] #72 1996 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ds4AAeSw1Hpp8XAG/s-l500.jpg)
![Allen Iverson [Refractor] #171 1996 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qPAAAeSwGqVqPpO~/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Refractor] #139 1996 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5zcAAeSwQhRqOqfn/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ray Allen #217 — FAQ
Is Ray Allen #217 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #217 sells for $925 against $16.00 raw: a $909 spread, 58× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($38.34) 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 #217 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #217 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome) sells for about $925 versus $16.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 58× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Allen #217?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,203, ahead of PSA 10 at $925. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Allen #217 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 #217 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Allen #217 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $38.34).
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.
Check my card free
