Is Karl Malone #55 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Hardcourt · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 600× premium in Grade 7
A Grade 7 Karl Malone #55 sells for $150 against $0.25 raw: a $150 spread, 600× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.99) 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)
- $0.25
- Grade 7
- $150
- PSA 9
- $9.99
- Gem premium
- 600×
- As of
- Sep 4, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 7 | $150 | +$125 | +$99.75 | −$0.25 |
| PSA 9 | $9.99 | −$15.26 | −$40.26 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $0.25 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% | $44.99 | −$5.26 |
| 50% | $80.00 | +$29.75 |
| 75% | $115 | +$64.75 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Karl Malone #55 — FAQ
Is Karl Malone #55 worth grading?
A Grade 7 Karl Malone #55 sells for $150 against $0.25 raw: a $150 spread, 600× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.99) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Karl Malone #55 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Karl Malone #55 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.99).
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