Is Ray Allen #YQ9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Youthquake · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #YQ9 sells for $223 against $6.00 raw: a $217 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.25) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $6.00
- PSA 10
- $223
- PSA 9
- $50.25
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 | $223 | +$192 | +$167 | +$66.85 |
| PSA 9 | $50.25 | +$19.25 | −$5.75 | −$106 |
| PSA 8 | $17.29 | −$13.71 | −$38.71 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $6.00 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% | $93.40 | +$37.40 |
| 50% | $137 | +$80.55 |
| 75% | $180 | +$124 |
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 | $290 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $223 | −$67.15 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $134 | −$156 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $134 | −$156 | 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 Ray Allen #YQ9 — FAQ
Is Ray Allen #YQ9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #YQ9 sells for $223 against $6.00 raw: a $217 spread, 37× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.25) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Ray Allen #YQ9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Allen #YQ9 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Youthquake) sells for about $223 versus $6.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Allen #YQ9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $290, ahead of PSA 10 at $223. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Allen #YQ9 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 #YQ9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Allen #YQ9 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.25).
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