Is Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #121 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Finest Embossed · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #121 sells for $121 against $19.56 raw: a $101 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($110) 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)
- $19.56
- Grade 9.5
- $121
- PSA 9
- $110
- Gem premium
- 6.2×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $121 | +$76.44 | +$51.44 | −$48.56 |
| PSA 9 | $110 | +$65.44 | +$40.44 | −$59.56 |
| PSA 8 | $99.99 | +$55.43 | +$30.43 | −$69.57 |
Net = sale price − $19.56 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% | $113 | +$43.19 |
| 50% | $116 | +$45.94 |
| 75% | $118 | +$48.69 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #121 — FAQ
Is Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #121 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Stephon Marbury [Refractor] #121 sells for $121 against $19.56 raw: a $101 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($110) 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.
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