Is Michael Jordan #86 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck Legends · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 44× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #86 sells for $211 against $4.75 raw: a $206 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.70) 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)
- $4.75
- PSA 10
- $211
- PSA 9
- $25.70
- Gem premium
- 44×
- 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 | $211 | +$181 | +$156 | +$55.75 |
| PSA 9 | $25.70 | −$4.05 | −$29.05 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $20.01 | −$9.74 | −$34.74 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $4.75 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% | $71.90 | +$17.15 |
| 50% | $118 | +$63.35 |
| 75% | $164 | +$110 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $274 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $211 | −$63.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $126 | −$148 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $126 | −$148 | 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 | $211 | $126 | $274 | $126 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $45.22 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $25.70 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $20.01 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Michael Jordan #86 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #86 sells for $211 against $4.75 raw: a $206 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.70) 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 #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #86 (Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck Legends) sells for about $211 versus $4.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 44× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $274, ahead of PSA 10 at $211. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #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 Michael Jordan #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #86 breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.70).
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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