Is Charles Barkley #17 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 Charles Barkley #17 sells for $57.52 against $2.70 raw: a $54.82 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.48) 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)
- $2.70
- PSA 10
- $57.52
- PSA 9
- $29.48
- Gem premium
- 21×
- 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 | $57.52 | +$29.82 | +$4.82 | −$95.18 |
| PSA 9 | $29.48 | +$1.78 | −$23.22 | −$123 |
| PSA 8 | $10.81 | −$16.89 | −$41.89 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.70 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% | $36.49 | −$16.21 |
| 50% | $43.50 | −$9.20 |
| 75% | $50.51 | −$2.19 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 83%. 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 | $75.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $57.52 | −$17.48 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$40.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$40.00 | 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 Charles Barkley #17 — FAQ
Is Charles Barkley #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charles Barkley #17 sells for $57.52 against $2.70 raw: a $54.82 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.48) 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 Charles Barkley #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charles Barkley #17 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $57.52 versus $2.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 21× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charles Barkley #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $75.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $57.52. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charles Barkley #17 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 Charles Barkley #17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charles Barkley #17 breaks even when it gems about 83% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.48).
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