Is Tim Duncan #59 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Ovation · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #59 sells for $73.52 against $1.99 raw: a $71.53 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.06) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $73.52
- PSA 9
- $19.06
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $73.52 | +$46.53 | +$21.53 | −$78.47 |
| PSA 9 | $19.06 | −$7.93 | −$32.93 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $12.52 | −$14.47 | −$39.47 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $32.67 | −$19.32 |
| 50% | $46.29 | −$5.70 |
| 75% | $59.91 | +$7.91 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 60%. 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 | $96.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $73.52 | −$22.48 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $44.00 | −$52.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $44.00 | −$52.00 | 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.
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Grading Tim Duncan #59 — FAQ
Is Tim Duncan #59 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #59 sells for $73.52 against $1.99 raw: a $71.53 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.06) 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 Tim Duncan #59 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Duncan #59 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Ovation) sells for about $73.52 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Duncan #59?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $96.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $73.52. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Duncan #59 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 Tim Duncan #59 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Duncan #59 breaks even when it gems about 60% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.06).
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