Is Steve Francis #252 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Steve Francis #252 sell for $33.50, only $23.50 above the $10.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($30.15) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $10.00
- PSA 10
- $33.50
- PSA 9
- $30.15
- Gem premium
- 3.4×
- 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 | $33.50 | −$1.50 | −$26.50 | −$127 |
| PSA 9 | $30.15 | −$4.85 | −$29.85 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $10.35 | −$24.65 | −$49.65 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $10.00 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% | $30.99 | −$29.01 |
| 50% | $31.82 | −$28.18 |
| 75% | $32.66 | −$27.34 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $44.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $33.50 | −$10.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.00 | −$24.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $20.00 | −$24.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Steve Francis #252 — FAQ
Is Steve Francis #252 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Steve Francis #252 sell for $33.50, only $23.50 above the $10.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($30.15) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Steve Francis #252 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Francis #252 (Basketball Cards 1999 Finest) sells for about $33.50 versus $10.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.4× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Francis #252?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $44.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $33.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Francis #252 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.
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