Is Karl Malone #T18 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Karl Malone #T18 sell for $23.02, only $20.56 above the $2.46 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.46
- PSA 10
- $23.02
- Gem premium
- 9.4×
- 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 | $23.02 | −$4.44 | −$29.44 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $2.46 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
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 | $30.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $23.02 | −$6.98 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $14.00 | −$16.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $14.00 | −$16.00 | 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.
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![Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #T38 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sFwAAOSwZthhIFGU/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Karl Malone #T18 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #T18 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Karl Malone #T18 sell for $23.02, only $20.56 above the $2.46 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Karl Malone #T18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Karl Malone #T18 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40) sells for about $23.02 versus $2.46 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.4× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Karl Malone #T18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $30.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $23.02. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Karl Malone #T18 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.
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