Is Charles Barkley [Gold] #16 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Spx Die-Cut · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Charles Barkley [Gold] #16 sells for $146 against $5.91 raw: a $140 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($133) 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)
- $5.91
- Grade 9.5
- $146
- PSA 9
- $133
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $146 | +$115 | +$90.09 | −$9.91 |
| PSA 9 | $133 | +$102 | +$77.09 | −$22.91 |
| PSA 8 | $121 | +$90.19 | +$65.19 | −$34.81 |
Net = sale price − $5.91 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% | $136 | +$80.34 |
| 50% | $140 | +$83.59 |
| 75% | $143 | +$86.84 |
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 Charles Barkley [Gold] #16 — FAQ
Is Charles Barkley [Gold] #16 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Charles Barkley [Gold] #16 sells for $146 against $5.91 raw: a $140 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($133) 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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