Is David Robinson #36 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 UD3 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 David Robinson #36 sells for $72.16 against $1.50 raw: a $70.66 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $72.16
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $72.16 | +$45.66 | +$20.66 | −$79.34 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$1.51 | −$26.51 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $14.00 | −$12.50 | −$37.50 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $36.78 | −$14.72 |
| 50% | $48.57 | −$2.93 |
| 75% | $60.37 | +$8.87 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $94.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $72.16 | −$21.84 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 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 David Robinson #36 — FAQ
Is David Robinson #36 worth grading?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #36 sells for $72.16 against $1.50 raw: a $70.66 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 David Robinson #36 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 David Robinson #36 (Basketball Cards 1996 UD3) sells for about $72.16 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for David Robinson #36?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $94.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $72.16. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does David Robinson #36 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 David Robinson #36 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Robinson #36 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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