Is Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 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 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 sells for $107 against $2.99 raw: a $104 spread, 36× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.00) 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)
- $2.99
- PSA 10
- $107
- PSA 9
- $28.00
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $107 | +$78.82 | +$53.82 | −$46.18 |
| PSA 9 | $28.00 | +$0.01 | −$24.99 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $25.00 | −$2.99 | −$27.99 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $47.70 | −$5.29 |
| 50% | $67.41 | +$14.42 |
| 75% | $87.11 | +$34.12 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. 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 | $139 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $107 | −$32.19 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $64.00 | −$75.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $64.00 | −$75.00 | 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 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 — FAQ
Is Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 sells for $107 against $2.99 raw: a $104 spread, 36× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.00) 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 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $107 versus $2.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $139, ahead of PSA 10 at $107. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 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 Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shareef Abdur-Rahim [Refractor] #28 breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.00).
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