Is Jonathan Bender [Refractor] #253 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Jonathan Bender [Refractor] #253 sell for $7.00, only $0.00 above the $20.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($6.49) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $20.00
- Grade 9.5
- $7.00
- PSA 9
- $6.49
- Gem premium
- 0.3×
- 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 | $7.00 | −$38.00 | −$63.00 | −$163 |
| PSA 9 | $6.49 | −$38.51 | −$63.51 | −$164 |
Net = sale price − $20.00 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% | $6.62 | −$63.38 |
| 50% | $6.75 | −$63.25 |
| 75% | $6.87 | −$63.13 |
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 [Refractor] #253 — FAQ
Is Jonathan Bender [Refractor] #253 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Jonathan Bender [Refractor] #253 sell for $7.00, only $0.00 above the $20.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($6.49) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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