Is Karl Malone #46 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Spx Die-Cut · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #46 sells for $95.31 against $2.50 raw: a $92.81 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.65) 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)
- $2.50
- PSA 10
- $95.31
- PSA 9
- $19.65
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $95.31 | +$67.81 | +$42.81 | −$57.19 |
| PSA 9 | $19.65 | −$7.85 | −$32.85 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $10.53 | −$16.97 | −$41.97 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.50 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% | $38.56 | −$13.94 |
| 50% | $57.48 | +$4.98 |
| 75% | $76.39 | +$23.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 43%. 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 | $124 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $95.31 | −$28.69 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$67.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$67.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Spx Die-Cut cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Kobe Bryant [Gold] #22 1997 Spx Die-Cut card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/03YAAeSw9fxqLF-C/s-l500.jpg)
![Kevin Garnett [Gold] #29 1997 Spx Die-Cut card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/swwAAeSwmqVp1bgh/s-l500.jpg)
![Allen Iverson [Gold] #35 1997 Spx Die-Cut card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ywUAAeSwn91qowR1/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Karl Malone #46 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #46 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #46 sells for $95.31 against $2.50 raw: a $92.81 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.65) 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 Karl Malone #46 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #46 (Basketball Cards 1997 Spx Die-Cut) sells for about $95.31 versus $2.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone #46?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $124, ahead of PSA 10 at $95.31. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone #46 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 Karl Malone #46 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone #46 breaks even when it gems about 43% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.65).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
