PART FOUR: Grading
In our last Flip or Flop, we picked the better of our two Buzelis Red Ice Prizms to send off to PSA in hopes of a 10. Today, we’re walking through how we prepped the card for submission. And no—we’re not using Kurt’s Card Care.
Our costs so far: 2× Raw Buzelis Red Ice Prizms at $18.21 each.
Let’s rip into it.
Performance Update
There’s no denying it—the Bulls have cooled off from their hot start, winning just two of their last seven and dropping to 8–6.
Buzelis, however, still looks solid. He’s steady at 14.7 PPG, shooting 40% from deep, and he’s started crashing the glass with more purpose, bumping his rebound average to 5.4 a night. He’s also getting a little more active defensively, up to 1.3 blocks per game.
His best outing since our last check-in was November 12th against Detroit, where he dropped 21 and 14—a clean double-double and another data point that the kid can hang.
While the Bulls’ slide isn’t helping the vibes, Buzelis prices have held steady. Raw Red Ice copies are still around $21 shipped, and PSA 10s are sitting at roughly $257.
No major gains yet, but the arrow’s pointing up.
Submitting for Grading
Quick disclaimer: The Hobby Wire isn’t affiliated with PSA or any grading company. We’re using PSA simply because their slabs still command the strongest resale value in modern basketball.
What You Need
Here’s the bare minimum for a PSA submission:
A clean, flat surface
Microfiber cloth
Painter’s tape
Fresh penny sleeves
Semi-rigid toploaders
Protective cardboard
Rubber bands
A shipping box
Packing tape
Bubble wrap or padding
Step 1: Pick Your Service
PSA has plenty of tiers, and as always: the more you pay, the faster the turnaround. You’ll also pay more if your card is valued above $500.
We’re using PSA’s Standard Value service. Even if this Buzelis gems, it shouldn’t cross the $500 threshold—and with the All-Star break as our planned sell window, we’ve got time. We also added a few extra cards to spread out the shipping cost.
Step 2: Fill Out the Forms
We’re not showing our forms due to personal information, but here are a couple quick tips:
Enter cards in the exact order you’re submitting them.
Some collectors swear by stacking weaker cards on top so the grader “sees improvement” as they move down the pile. We’re not saying it works—but our bottom cards do tend to gem a little more often.Know exactly what card you’re submitting.
With all the overlapping parallels (especially ones of the same color), picking the wrong variant can slow your order down. The PSA assistant submission is a life-saver here.
Step 3: Prepping the Card
Start by gently wiping the card with a microfiber cloth—inside to out—to clear dust and fingerprints. This matters more with chrome stock.
Next, wrap a small bit of painter’s tape around your index finger and lightly run it along the edges to pick up any loose stock fibers.
Do not roll your finger over the corners. Too much pressure can round an edge and tank your grade.
Once it’s clean, slide the card into a fresh penny sleeve and then into a semi-rigid.
Keep your stack in the same order as your submission form and sandwich the cards between two pieces of cardboard secured with rubber bands.
Wrap the stack in bubble wrap (we used a padded envelope) and fill your box with enough packing material that nothing shifts, and don’t forget to drop both copies of your submission form inside before sealing.
Lastly, tape your PSA submission barcode to the outside of the box so PSA can scan it on arrival.
Total Cost
Our grading fee came out to $32.99 after tax, with shipping totaling $20.05 for the entire order. Split across four cards, that’s $5.02 per card.
That brings our Buzelis flip total to $74.43, or $37.22 per card.
Here’s hoping this one pays off.
Expect this series to slow down while we wait for PSA, but we’ll still drop quick monthly check-ins on Buzelis’ performance and his market. Our next big update will land once the card comes back—or if we decide to cut bait and move the raw copy.
Stay tuned!
Table of Contents
Need to catch up or refresh yourself on the series?
You can find all the major installments below 👇
Part 1: The Plan
Part 2: Dropping Dimes
Part 3: Mail Day
Part 4: Grading (You Are Here)
Part 5: Coming 2026
Disclaimer: The content in The Hobby Wire is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Commentary, analysis, and opinions on sports cards, rookies, and the hobby are not financial, investment, or professional advice. Collectors should always do their own research before buying, selling, or trading cards. Market values are volatile and can change rapidly—past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Unless specified, all pricing references are based on the Prizm/Refractor parallels of an athlete’s Chrome rookie card, with prices from alt.xyz & 130pt.com.
Any odds mentioned were derived from DraftKings Sportsbook.
I'll have to try the tape around the edge trick on my next submission! Thanks for the great info!
Did you self grade it, if so how did it score?