Is Patrick Ewing #3G worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Ultra Gold Medallion · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Patrick Ewing #3G sells for $77.15 against $2.09 raw: a $75.06 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.33) 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)
- $2.09
- PSA 10
- $77.15
- PSA 9
- $18.33
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 | $77.15 | +$50.06 | +$25.06 | −$74.94 |
| PSA 9 | $18.33 | −$8.76 | −$33.76 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $10.55 | −$16.54 | −$41.54 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.09 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% | $33.03 | −$19.06 |
| 50% | $47.74 | −$4.35 |
| 75% | $62.45 | +$10.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 57%. 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 | $100 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $77.15 | −$22.85 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $46.00 | −$54.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $46.00 | −$54.00 | 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 | $77.15 | $46.00 | $100 | $46.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $33.03 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $18.33 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.55 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Ultra Gold Medallion cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Patrick Ewing #3G — FAQ
Is Patrick Ewing #3G worth grading?
A PSA 10 Patrick Ewing #3G sells for $77.15 against $2.09 raw: a $75.06 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.33) 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 Patrick Ewing #3G worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Patrick Ewing #3G (Basketball Cards 1998 Ultra Gold Medallion) sells for about $77.15 versus $2.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Patrick Ewing #3G?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $100, ahead of PSA 10 at $77.15. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Patrick Ewing #3G 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 Patrick Ewing #3G break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Patrick Ewing #3G breaks even when it gems about 57% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.33).
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
