Is Paul Pierce [President's Edition] #44 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 SP Top Prospects · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Paul Pierce [President's Edition] #44 sells for $605 against $257 raw: a $348 spread, 2.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($550) 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)
- $257
- Grade 9.5
- $605
- PSA 9
- $550
- Gem premium
- 2.4×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $605 | +$323 | +$298 | +$198 |
| PSA 9 | $550 | +$268 | +$243 | +$143 |
Net = sale price − $257 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% | $564 | +$257 |
| 50% | $577 | +$271 |
| 75% | $591 | +$285 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $605 |
| 9 | $550 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 SP Top Prospects cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Paul Pierce [President's Edition] #44 — FAQ
Is Paul Pierce [President's Edition] #44 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Paul Pierce [President's Edition] #44 sells for $605 against $257 raw: a $348 spread, 2.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($550) 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.
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.
Check my card free