Is Joe Smith #5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1995 Hoops Hot List · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #5 sells for $138 against $3.58 raw: a $134 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.20) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $3.58
- PSA 10
- $138
- PSA 9
- $28.20
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $138 | +$109 | +$83.94 | −$16.06 |
| PSA 9 | $28.20 | −$0.38 | −$25.38 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $13.62 | −$14.96 | −$39.96 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $3.58 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% | $55.53 | +$1.95 |
| 50% | $82.86 | +$29.28 |
| 75% | $110 | +$56.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $179 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $138 | −$41.48 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $83.00 | −$96.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $83.00 | −$96.00 | 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 | $138 | $83.00 | $179 | $83.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $49.26 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $28.20 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.62 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Joe Smith #5 — FAQ
Is Joe Smith #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #5 sells for $138 against $3.58 raw: a $134 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.20) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Smith #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #5 (Basketball Cards 1995 Hoops Hot List) sells for about $138 versus $3.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Smith #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $179, ahead of PSA 10 at $138. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Smith #5 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 Joe Smith #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Smith #5 breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.20).
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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