$Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 (Basketball Cards 1997 Bowman's Best) — is it worth grading?$

Is Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Bowman's Best · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 sells for $596 against $21.58 raw: a $574 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($55.00) 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): $21.58
PSA 10: $596
PSA 9: $55.00
Gem premium: 28×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$596	+$549	+$524	+$424
PSA 9	$55.00	+$8.42	−$16.58	−$117
PSA 8	$32.50	−$14.08	−$39.08	−$139

Net = sale price − $21.58 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?

Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$190	+$119
50%	$325	+$254
75%	$460	+$389

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 →

Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$774	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$596	−$178	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$357	−$417	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$357	−$417	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 →

Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$596	$357	$774	$357	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$175
9	—	—	—	—	$55.00
8	—	—	—	—	$32.50
7	—	—	—	—	$25.00

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1997 Bowman's Best cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Scottie Pippen [Atomic Refractor] #1

Raw $85.10PSA 10 $1,887

Michael Jordan #96

Raw $89.91PSA 10 $1,900

Michael Jordan [Best Performace] #96

Raw $111PSA 10 $2,224

$Michael Jordan [Refractor] #96 1997 Bowman's Best card$

Michael Jordan [Refractor] #96

Raw $740PSA 10 $7,862

$Tim Duncan [Atomic Refractor] 1997 Bowman's Best card$

Tim Duncan [Atomic Refractor]

Raw $172PSA 10 $1,803

$Michael Jordan [Atomic Refractor] #96 1997 Bowman's Best card$

Michael Jordan [Atomic Refractor] #96

Raw $1,504PSA 10 $15,352

Grading Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 — FAQ

Is Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 (Basketball Cards 1997 Bowman's Best) sells for about $596 versus $21.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $774, ahead of PSA 10 at $596. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 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 Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Payton [Atomic Refractor] #5 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $55.00).

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