![Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 (Basketball Cards 1998 Bowman's Best) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ztMAAeSwIoZqYPy1/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Bowman's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 sells for $300 against $71.91 raw: a $228 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($113) 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)
- $71.91
- PSA 10
- $300
- PSA 9
- $113
- Gem premium
- 4.2×
- 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 | $300 | +$203 | +$178 | +$78.05 |
| PSA 9 | $113 | +$16.30 | −$8.70 | −$109 |
| PSA 8 | $32.10 | −$64.81 | −$89.81 | −$190 |
Net = sale price − $71.91 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% | $160 | +$37.99 |
| 50% | $207 | +$84.67 |
| 75% | $253 | +$131 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $390 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $300 | −$90.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $180 | −$210 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $180 | −$210 | 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 | $300 | $180 | $390 | $180 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $125 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $113 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $32.10 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $26.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Bowman's Best cards worth checking
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Grading Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 sells for $300 against $71.91 raw: a $228 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($113) 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 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 (Basketball Cards 1998 Bowman's Best) sells for about $300 versus $71.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $390, ahead of PSA 10 at $300. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 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 Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Duncan [Refractor] #50 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $113).
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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