Is Larry Bird #9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Hoops · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #9 sells for $69.23 against $1.94 raw: a $67.29 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.50) 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)
- $1.94
- PSA 10
- $69.23
- PSA 9
- $23.50
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $69.23 | +$42.29 | +$17.29 | −$82.71 |
| PSA 9 | $23.50 | −$3.44 | −$28.44 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $9.49 | −$17.45 | −$42.45 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.94 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% | $34.93 | −$17.01 |
| 50% | $46.37 | −$5.57 |
| 75% | $57.80 | +$5.86 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $90.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $69.23 | −$20.77 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.85 | −$39.15 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$48.00 | 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 | $69.23 | $50.85 | $90.00 | $42.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $26.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.49 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.82 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Larry Bird #9 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #9 sells for $69.23 against $1.94 raw: a $67.29 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.50) 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 Larry Bird #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #9 (Basketball Cards 1991 Hoops) sells for about $69.23 versus $1.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird #9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $90.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $69.23. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird #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 Larry Bird #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Bird #9 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.50).
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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