Is Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Mystery Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 73× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 sells for $180 against $2.46 raw: a $178 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.00) 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)
- $2.46
- PSA 10
- $180
- PSA 9
- $27.00
- Gem premium
- 73×
- 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 | $180 | +$153 | +$128 | +$27.54 |
| PSA 9 | $27.00 | −$0.46 | −$25.46 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$2.47 | −$27.47 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $2.46 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% | $65.25 | +$12.79 |
| 50% | $104 | +$51.04 |
| 75% | $142 | +$89.29 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $234 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $180 | −$54.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $108 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $108 | −$126 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps Mystery Finest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Scottie Pippen [Borderless Refractor] #M1 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t2YAAeSwzotphT61/s-l500.jpg)
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![Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #M12 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BPoAAeSw-jdqUAz~/s-l500.jpg)
![Anfernee Hardaway [Borderless Refractor] #M3 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cIwAAeSwYQVqlr58/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Borderless] #M14 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mjYAAeSwsqlqeynF/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Super Team NBA Finals] #M14 1996 Topps Mystery Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/PnMAAeSw5ctqdWBn/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 — FAQ
Is Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 sells for $180 against $2.46 raw: a $178 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.00) 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 Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Mystery Finest) sells for about $180 versus $2.46 for a raw near-mint copy — a 73× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $234, ahead of PSA 10 at $180. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 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 Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Juwan Howard [Bordered Refractor] #M5 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.00).
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