Is Magic Johnson #104 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2008 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 14× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #104 sells for $56.32 against $3.97 raw: a $52.35 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) 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)
- $3.97
- PSA 10
- $56.32
- PSA 9
- $10.00
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $56.32 | +$27.35 | +$2.35 | −$97.65 |
| PSA 9 | $10.00 | −$18.97 | −$43.97 | −$144 |
| PSA 8 | $9.35 | −$19.62 | −$44.62 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $3.97 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% | $21.58 | −$32.39 |
| 50% | $33.16 | −$20.81 |
| 75% | $44.74 | −$9.23 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 95%. 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 | $73.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $56.32 | −$16.68 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 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 Magic Johnson #104 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson #104 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #104 sells for $56.32 against $3.97 raw: a $52.35 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) 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 #104 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #104 (Basketball Cards 2008 Bowman) sells for about $56.32 versus $3.97 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson #104?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $73.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $56.32. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson #104 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 #104 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Magic Johnson #104 breaks even when it gems about 95% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.00).
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