Is Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 sells for $105 against $15.25 raw: a $89.74 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.00) 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)
- $15.25
- PSA 10
- $105
- PSA 9
- $40.00
- Gem premium
- 6.9×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $105 | +$64.74 | +$39.74 | −$60.26 |
| PSA 9 | $40.00 | −$0.25 | −$25.25 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $8.51 | −$31.74 | −$56.74 | −$157 |
Net = sale price − $15.25 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% | $56.25 | −$9.00 |
| 50% | $72.50 | +$7.25 |
| 75% | $88.74 | +$23.49 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $136 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $105 | −$31.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $63.00 | −$73.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $63.00 | −$73.00 | 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 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 — FAQ
Is Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 sells for $105 against $15.25 raw: a $89.74 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.00) 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 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 (Basketball Cards 1997 Finest) sells for about $105 versus $15.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.9× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $136, ahead of PSA 10 at $105. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 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 Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Alonzo Mourning [Refractor] #281 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.00).
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