Is Michael Jordan #5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Skybox E X2000 A Cut Above · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Michael Jordan #5 sells for $12,829 against $5,000 raw: a $7,829 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($7,002) 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)
- $5,000
- Grade 9.5
- $12,829
- PSA 9
- $7,002
- Gem premium
- 2.6×
- As of
- Sep 4, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $12,829 | +$7,804 | +$7,779 | +$7,679 |
| PSA 9 | $7,002 | +$1,977 | +$1,952 | +$1,852 |
| PSA 8 | $6,365 | +$1,340 | +$1,315 | +$1,215 |
Net = sale price − $5,000 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% | $8,459 | +$3,409 |
| 50% | $9,916 | +$4,866 |
| 75% | $11,372 | +$6,322 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Michael Jordan #5 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Michael Jordan #5 sells for $12,829 against $5,000 raw: a $7,829 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($7,002) 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.
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