Is Paul Pierce #235 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 16× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #235 sells for $56.50 against $3.50 raw: a $53.00 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.73) 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)
- $3.50
- PSA 10
- $56.50
- PSA 9
- $14.73
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $56.50 | +$28.00 | +$3.00 | −$97.00 |
| PSA 9 | $14.73 | −$13.77 | −$38.77 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $13.97 | −$14.53 | −$39.53 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $3.50 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% | $25.17 | −$28.33 |
| 50% | $35.62 | −$17.88 |
| 75% | $46.06 | −$7.44 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 93%. 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 | $350 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $56.50 | −$294 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$310 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$316 | 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 | $56.50 | $34.00 | $350 | $40.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $44.67 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.73 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.97 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $11.91 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Finest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 1998 Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/brMAAeSwRQtqSkHl/s-l500.jpg)
![Paul Pierce [Refractor] #235 1998 Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8yMAAeSwAZtqQu8j/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #175 1998 Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/SyoAAeSwBdhqOFWt/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Paul Pierce #235 — FAQ
Is Paul Pierce #235 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #235 sells for $56.50 against $3.50 raw: a $53.00 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.73) 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 Paul Pierce #235 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #235 (Basketball Cards 1998 Finest) sells for about $56.50 versus $3.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Paul Pierce #235?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $350, ahead of PSA 10 at $56.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Paul Pierce #235 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 Paul Pierce #235 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Pierce #235 breaks even when it gems about 93% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.73).
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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