Is Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Bowman's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 7 Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 sells for $1,050 against $375 raw: a $675 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($400) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $375
- Grade 7
- $1,050
- PSA 9
- $400
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- 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 — Grade 7 | $1,050 | +$650 | +$625 | +$525 |
| PSA 9 | $400 | +$0.01 | −$24.99 | −$125 |
Net = sale price − $375 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% | $563 | +$138 |
| 50% | $725 | +$300 |
| 75% | $888 | +$463 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $440 |
| 9 | $400 |
| 7 | $1,050 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 — FAQ
Is Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 worth grading?
A Grade 7 Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 sells for $1,050 against $375 raw: a $675 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($400) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Vince Carter [Atomic Refractor] #1 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $400).
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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