Is Gary Payton #79 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #79 sells for $68.41 against $1.61 raw: a $66.80 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.77) 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)
- $1.61
- PSA 10
- $68.41
- PSA 9
- $16.77
- Gem premium
- 42×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $68.41 | +$41.80 | +$16.80 | −$83.20 |
| PSA 9 | $16.77 | −$9.84 | −$34.84 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $8.36 | −$18.25 | −$43.25 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.61 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% | $29.68 | −$21.93 |
| 50% | $42.59 | −$9.02 |
| 75% | $55.50 | +$3.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 67%. 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 | $89.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.41 | −$20.59 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Michael Jordan [Double] #10 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kmkAAeSw0fJqhKSI/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Double] #4 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1k0AAeSwWihqmNK5/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Double] #3 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NIgAAeSwHWVqo55b/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Double] #5 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/z24AAeSwS7ZqmbI3/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Double] #22 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/PE8AAeSwe-pqmF4K/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Gary Payton #79 — FAQ
Is Gary Payton #79 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #79 sells for $68.41 against $1.61 raw: a $66.80 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.77) 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 Gary Payton #79 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Payton #79 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Black Diamond) sells for about $68.41 versus $1.61 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Payton #79?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $89.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.41. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Payton #79 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 Gary Payton #79 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Payton #79 breaks even when it gems about 67% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.77).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
