Is Jonathan Bender [Gold Refractor] #253 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Finest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Jonathan Bender [Gold Refractor] #253 sells for $54.00 against $20.50 raw: a $33.50 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.67) 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)
- $20.50
- Grade 9.5
- $54.00
- PSA 9
- $48.67
- Gem premium
- 2.6×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $54.00 | +$8.50 | −$16.50 | −$117 |
| PSA 9 | $48.67 | +$3.17 | −$21.83 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $37.02 | −$8.48 | −$33.48 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $20.50 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% | $50.00 | −$20.50 |
| 50% | $51.34 | −$19.16 |
| 75% | $52.67 | −$17.83 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Jonathan Bender [Gold Refractor] #253 — FAQ
Is Jonathan Bender [Gold Refractor] #253 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Jonathan Bender [Gold Refractor] #253 sells for $54.00 against $20.50 raw: a $33.50 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.67) 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.
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