$Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Rock Stars) — is it worth grading?$

Is Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Rock Stars · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 sells for $405 against $54.41 raw: a $350 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($100) 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): $54.41
PSA 10: $405
PSA 9: $100
Gem premium: 7.4×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$405	+$325	+$300	+$200
PSA 9	$100	+$20.59	−$4.41	−$104
PSA 8	$60.00	−$19.41	−$44.41	−$144

Net = sale price − $54.41 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?

Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$176	+$71.78
50%	$252	+$148
75%	$329	+$224

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 →

Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$526	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$405	−$121	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$243	−$283	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$243	−$283	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 →

Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$405	$243	$526	$243	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$288
9	—	—	—	—	$100
8	—	—	—	—	$60.00

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1997 Topps Rock Stars cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

$Tim Hardaway [Refractor] #RS8 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Tim Hardaway [Refractor] #RS8

Raw $20.74PSA 10 $1,100

$Charles Barkley [Refractor] #RS4 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Charles Barkley [Refractor] #RS4

Raw $50.00PSA 10 $1,735

$Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #RS14 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #RS14

Raw $80.10PSA 10 $2,640

$Gary Payton [Refractor] #RS9 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Gary Payton [Refractor] #RS9

Raw $40.37PSA 10 $1,100

$Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #RS20 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Scottie Pippen [Refractor] #RS20

Raw $116PSA 10 $1,100

$Michael Jordan [Refractor] #RS1 1997 Topps Rock Stars card$

Michael Jordan [Refractor] #RS1

Raw $1,600PSA 10 $13,008

Grading Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 — FAQ

Is Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Rock Stars) sells for about $405 versus $54.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.4× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $526, ahead of PSA 10 at $405. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 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 [Refractor] #RS16 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone [Refractor] #RS16 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $100).

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.

Or try it on the web →