![Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Ovation) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mfoAAeSw9FJqHfdy/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Ovation · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 sells for $900 against $125 raw: a $775 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($149) 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)
- $125
- PSA 10
- $900
- PSA 9
- $149
- Gem premium
- 7.2×
- 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 | $900 | +$750 | +$725 | +$625 |
| PSA 9 | $149 | −$0.97 | −$25.97 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $108 | −$42.22 | −$67.22 | −$167 |
Net = sale price − $125 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% | $337 | +$162 |
| 50% | $525 | +$350 |
| 75% | $712 | +$537 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $1,170 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $900 | −$270 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $540 | −$630 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $540 | −$630 | 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 | $900 | $540 | $1,170 | $540 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $225 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $149 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $108 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $46.23 |
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 Ovation cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
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Grading Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 — FAQ
Is Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 sells for $900 against $125 raw: a $775 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($149) 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 Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Ovation) sells for about $900 versus $125 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,170, ahead of PSA 10 at $900. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #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 Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dirk Nowitzki [Gold] #79 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $149).
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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