Is Magic Johnson #535 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Hoops · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Magic Johnson #535 sell for $25.00, only $23.52 above the $1.48 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.48
- PSA 10
- $25.00
- PSA 9
- $10.00
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $25.00 | −$1.48 | −$26.48 | −$126 |
| PSA 9 | $10.00 | −$16.48 | −$41.48 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $8.49 | −$17.99 | −$42.99 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.48 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% | $13.75 | −$37.73 |
| 50% | $17.50 | −$33.98 |
| 75% | $21.25 | −$30.23 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $33.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $25.00 | −$8.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $15.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $15.00 | −$18.00 | 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 | $25.00 | $15.00 | $33.00 | $15.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $25.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $10.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.49 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $2.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Magic Johnson #535 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson #535 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Magic Johnson #535 sell for $25.00, only $23.52 above the $1.48 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Magic Johnson #535 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #535 (Basketball Cards 1991 Hoops) sells for about $25.00 versus $1.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson #535?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $33.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $25.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson #535 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.
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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