Is Richard Hamilton #254 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Richard Hamilton #254 sell for $21.22, only $11.22 above the $10.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.75) 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)
- $10.00
- PSA 10
- $21.22
- PSA 9
- $9.75
- Gem premium
- 2.1×
- 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 | $21.22 | −$13.78 | −$38.78 | −$139 |
| PSA 9 | $9.75 | −$25.25 | −$50.25 | −$150 |
| PSA 8 | $5.50 | −$29.50 | −$54.50 | −$155 |
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% | $12.62 | −$47.38 |
| 50% | $15.48 | −$44.52 |
| 75% | $18.35 | −$41.65 |
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 | $28.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $21.22 | −$6.78 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $13.00 | −$15.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.00 | −$15.00 | 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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Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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 Richard Hamilton #254 — FAQ
Is Richard Hamilton #254 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Richard Hamilton #254 sell for $21.22, only $11.22 above the $10.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.75) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Richard Hamilton #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Richard Hamilton #254 (Basketball Cards 1999 Finest) sells for about $21.22 versus $10.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.1× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Richard Hamilton #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $28.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $21.22. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Richard Hamilton #254 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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