Is Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 sells for $115 against $19.44 raw: a $95.52 spread, 5.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.04) 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)
- $19.44
- PSA 10
- $115
- PSA 9
- $40.04
- Gem premium
- 5.9×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $115 | +$70.52 | +$45.52 | −$54.48 |
| PSA 9 | $40.04 | −$4.40 | −$29.40 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $22.40 | −$22.04 | −$47.04 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $19.44 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% | $58.77 | −$10.67 |
| 50% | $77.50 | +$8.06 |
| 75% | $96.23 | +$26.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $149 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $115 | −$34.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.00 | −$80.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $69.00 | −$80.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $115 | $69.00 | $149 | $69.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $76.71 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $40.04 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $22.40 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity cards worth checking
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![LeBron James [Gold Refractor] #SY-2 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DQgAAeSw3UtqDfet/s-l500.jpg)
![Cooper Flagg [Refractor] #SY-11 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7A0AAeSwuzZqZt1x/s-l500.jpg)
![Cooper Flagg [RayWave Refractor] #SY-11 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9LoAAeSwsFZqWBO2/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 sells for $115 against $19.44 raw: a $95.52 spread, 5.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.04) 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 Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 (Basketball Cards 2025 Topps Chrome Serenity) sells for about $115 versus $19.44 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.9× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $149, ahead of PSA 10 at $115. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 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 Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Magic Johnson [Pulsar Refractor] #SY-9 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.04).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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