Is Paul Pierce #135 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #135 sells for $178 against $8.05 raw: a $170 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.50) 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)
- $8.05
- PSA 10
- $178
- PSA 9
- $24.50
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $178 | +$145 | +$120 | +$20.05 |
| PSA 9 | $24.50 | −$8.55 | −$33.55 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $22.40 | −$10.65 | −$35.65 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $8.05 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% | $62.90 | +$4.85 |
| 50% | $101 | +$43.25 |
| 75% | $140 | +$81.65 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 22%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $178 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $154 | −$24.06 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $107 | −$71.10 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $107 | −$71.10 | 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 | $178 | $107 | $154 | $107 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $76.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $22.40 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $21.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Paul Pierce [Refractor] #135 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vtEAAeSwfRBqU7ID/s-l500.jpg)
![Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #175 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/I88AAeSw0gNpqOMn/s-l500.jpg)
![Tracy McGrady [Refractor] #162 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AqYAAeSwe41qVmqk/s-l500.jpg)
![Allen Iverson [Refractor] #160 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QKYAAeSwFU1qP~me/s-l500.jpg)
![Dirk Nowitzki [Refractor] #154 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MDQAAeSwxghpjXhC/s-l500.jpg)
![Vince Carter [Refractor] #199 1998 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BJoAAeSws2Fo3lyO/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Paul Pierce #135 — FAQ
Is Paul Pierce #135 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #135 sells for $178 against $8.05 raw: a $170 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.50) 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 #135 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Paul Pierce #135 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome) sells for about $178 versus $8.05 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Paul Pierce #135?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $178, ahead of BGS 10 at $154. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Paul Pierce #135 need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 #135 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Pierce #135 breaks even when it gems about 22% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.50).
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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