Is Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1993 Stadium Club · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 sells for $3,563 against $400 raw: a $3,163 spread, 8.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,058) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM): $400
PSA 10: $3,563
PSA 9: $1,058
Gem premium: 8.9×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$3,563	+$3,138	+$3,113	+$3,013
PSA 9	$1,058	+$633	+$608	+$508
PSA 8	$621	+$196	+$171	+$71.09

Net = sale price − $400 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?

Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$1,684	+$1,234
50%	$2,310	+$1,860
75%	$2,937	+$2,487

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$4,632	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$3,563	−$1,069	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$2,138	−$2,494	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$2,138	−$2,494	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 →

Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$3,563	$2,138	$4,632	$2,138	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$1,163
9	—	—	—	—	$1,058
8	—	—	—	—	$621
7	—	—	—	—	$233

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1993 Stadium Club cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Michael Jordan [Members Only] #169

Raw $7.50PSA 10 $4,159

Michael Jordan [Members Only] #1

Raw $7.97PSA 10 $3,600

John Starks [1st Day Issue] #116

Raw $59.98PSA 10 $2,181

Shaquille O'Neal [1st Day Issue] #175

Raw $35.47PSA 10 $1,025

Anfernee Hardaway [1st Day Issue] #266

Raw $34.89PSA 10 $1000

Shaquille O'Neal [1st Day Issue] #100

Raw $74.96PSA 10 $1,075

Grading Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 — FAQ

Is Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 (Basketball Cards 1993 Stadium Club) sells for about $3,563 versus $400 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $4,632, ahead of PSA 10 at $3,563. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Michael Jordan [1st Day Issue] #169 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.

Best on iPhone & Android

Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app

Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.

Or try it on the web →