Is Michael Jordan #87 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck Century Legends · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 33× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #87 sells for $123 against $3.75 raw: a $119 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.96) 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)
- $3.75
- PSA 10
- $123
- PSA 9
- $27.96
- Gem premium
- 33×
- 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 | $123 | +$94.02 | +$69.02 | −$30.98 |
| PSA 9 | $27.96 | −$0.79 | −$25.79 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $11.23 | −$17.52 | −$42.52 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $3.75 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% | $51.66 | −$2.09 |
| 50% | $75.36 | +$21.61 |
| 75% | $99.07 | +$45.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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 | $160 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $123 | −$37.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $74.00 | −$86.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $74.00 | −$86.00 | 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 | $123 | $74.00 | $160 | $74.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $46.40 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $27.96 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.23 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Michael Jordan #87 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #87 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #87 sells for $123 against $3.75 raw: a $119 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.96) 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 Michael Jordan #87 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #87 (Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck Century Legends) sells for about $123 versus $3.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 33× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #87?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $160, ahead of PSA 10 at $123. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #87 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 Michael Jordan #87 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #87 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.96).
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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