Is Tim Duncan #A21 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Aerodynamics · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #A21 sells for $70.72 against $1.74 raw: a $68.98 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.18) 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)
- $1.74
- PSA 10
- $70.72
- PSA 9
- $17.18
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $70.72 | +$43.98 | +$18.98 | −$81.02 |
| PSA 9 | $17.18 | −$9.56 | −$34.56 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $8.56 | −$18.18 | −$43.18 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.74 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% | $30.56 | −$21.18 |
| 50% | $43.95 | −$7.79 |
| 75% | $57.34 | +$5.59 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 65%. 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 | $92.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $70.72 | −$21.28 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 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 Tim Duncan #A21 — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan #A21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #A21 sells for $70.72 against $1.74 raw: a $68.98 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.18) 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 Tim Duncan #A21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #A21 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Aerodynamics) sells for about $70.72 versus $1.74 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Duncan #A21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $92.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.72. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Duncan #A21 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 Tim Duncan #A21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Duncan #A21 breaks even when it gems about 65% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.18).
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