Is Gary Payton [Rave] #20 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Skybox Z Force · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Gary Payton [Rave] #20 sells for $215 against $69.10 raw: a $146 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($195) 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)
- $69.10
- Grade 9.5
- $215
- PSA 9
- $195
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $215 | +$121 | +$95.90 | −$4.10 |
| PSA 9 | $195 | +$101 | +$75.90 | −$24.10 |
| PSA 8 | $178 | +$83.40 | +$58.40 | −$41.60 |
Net = sale price − $69.10 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% | $200 | +$80.90 |
| 50% | $205 | +$85.90 |
| 75% | $210 | +$90.90 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $215 |
| 9 | $195 |
| 8 | $178 |
| 7 | $75.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Skybox Z Force cards worth checking
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![Michael Jordan [Rave] #190 1997 Skybox Z Force card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RqkAAeSweXxqbDAn/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Gary Payton [Rave] #20 — FAQ
Is Gary Payton [Rave] #20 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Gary Payton [Rave] #20 sells for $215 against $69.10 raw: a $146 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($195) 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.
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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