Is Michael Jordan #452 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #452 sells for $124 against $2.51 raw: a $121 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.01) 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)
- $2.51
- PSA 10
- $124
- PSA 9
- $26.01
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $124 | +$96.39 | +$71.39 | −$28.61 |
| PSA 9 | $26.01 | −$1.50 | −$26.50 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $17.04 | −$10.47 | −$35.47 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $2.51 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% | $50.48 | −$2.03 |
| 50% | $74.95 | +$22.44 |
| 75% | $99.43 | +$46.92 |
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 | $884 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $124 | −$760 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $79.99 | −$804 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $46.25 | −$838 | 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 | $124 | $79.99 | $884 | $46.25 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $29.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $26.01 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $17.04 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $10.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Michael Jordan #452 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #452 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #452 sells for $124 against $2.51 raw: a $121 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.01) 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 #452 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #452 (Basketball Cards 1991 Upper Deck) sells for about $124 versus $2.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #452?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $884, ahead of PSA 10 at $124. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #452 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 #452 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #452 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.01).
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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