![Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Fs0AAeSwa5xp2Aac/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 sells for $135 against $14.99 raw: a $120 spread, 9.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.50) 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)
- $14.99
- PSA 10
- $135
- PSA 9
- $47.50
- Gem premium
- 9.0×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $135 | +$95.01 | +$70.01 | −$29.99 |
| PSA 9 | $47.50 | +$7.51 | −$17.49 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $25.59 | −$14.40 | −$39.40 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $14.99 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% | $69.38 | +$4.38 |
| 50% | $91.25 | +$26.26 |
| 75% | $113 | +$48.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $176 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $135 | −$41.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $135 | $81.00 | $176 | $81.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $132 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $47.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $25.59 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $24.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best cards worth checking
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![Allen Iverson [Refractor] #26 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Y8MAAeSwzoRpFPid/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 — FAQ
Is Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 sells for $135 against $14.99 raw: a $120 spread, 9.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.50) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $135 versus $14.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.0× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $176, ahead of PSA 10 at $135. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 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 Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #12 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $47.50).
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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