Is Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Next Wave · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 32× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 sells for $117 against $3.70 raw: a $113 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.28) 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)
- $3.70
- PSA 10
- $117
- PSA 9
- $25.28
- Gem premium
- 32×
- 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 | $117 | +$87.93 | +$62.93 | −$37.07 |
| PSA 9 | $25.28 | −$3.42 | −$28.42 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $12.58 | −$16.12 | −$41.12 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $3.70 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% | $48.12 | −$5.58 |
| 50% | $70.95 | +$17.25 |
| 75% | $93.79 | +$40.09 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 31%. 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 | $152 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $117 | −$35.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $70.00 | −$82.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $70.00 | −$82.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Upper Deck Next Wave cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Tracy McGrady [Quantum Bronze] #NW26 1998 Upper Deck Next Wave card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~c8AAOSwPUJl1gQl/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Quantum Bronze] #NW1 1998 Upper Deck Next Wave card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fJMAAeSwrsFqb9IW/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 — FAQ
Is Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 sells for $117 against $3.70 raw: a $113 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.28) 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 Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Next Wave) sells for about $117 versus $3.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 32× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $152, ahead of PSA 10 at $117. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 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 Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ron Mercer [Quantum Bronze] #NW12 breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.28).
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