Is Charles Barkley #86 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Flair Showcase · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 51× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charles Barkley #86 sells for $51.46 against $1.01 raw: a $50.45 spread, 51× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.01
- PSA 10
- $51.46
- PSA 9
- $9.99
- Gem premium
- 51×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $51.46 | +$25.45 | +$0.45 | −$99.55 |
| PSA 9 | $9.99 | −$16.02 | −$41.02 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $6.95 | −$19.06 | −$44.06 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.01 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% | $20.36 | −$30.65 |
| 50% | $30.73 | −$20.29 |
| 75% | $41.09 | −$9.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 99%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 | $67.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.46 | −$15.54 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 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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Grading Charles Barkley #86 — FAQ
Is Charles Barkley #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charles Barkley #86 sells for $51.46 against $1.01 raw: a $50.45 spread, 51× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Charles Barkley #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charles Barkley #86 (Basketball Cards 1999 Flair Showcase) sells for about $51.46 versus $1.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 51× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charles Barkley #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $67.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.46. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charles Barkley #86 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.
What gem rate makes grading Charles Barkley #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charles Barkley #86 breaks even when it gems about 99% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.99).
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