Is Magic Johnson #288 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2020 Panini Mosaic · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Magic Johnson #288 sell for $21.96, only $20.47 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.49) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $21.96
- PSA 9
- $12.49
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $21.96 | −$4.53 | −$29.53 | −$130 |
| PSA 9 | $12.49 | −$14.00 | −$39.00 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $4.85 | −$21.64 | −$46.64 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $14.86 | −$36.63 |
| 50% | $17.23 | −$34.27 |
| 75% | $19.59 | −$31.90 |
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 | $29.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $21.96 | −$7.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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 #288 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson #288 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Magic Johnson #288 sell for $21.96, only $20.47 above the $1.49 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.49) 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 #288 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #288 (Basketball Cards 2020 Panini Mosaic) sells for about $21.96 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson #288?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $29.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $21.96. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson #288 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.
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