Is Michael Jordan #ma-mj worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2009 Upper Deck Masterpieces · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #ma-mj sells for $1,085 against $36.38 raw: a $1,048 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.91) 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)
- $36.38
- PSA 10
- $1,085
- PSA 9
- $52.91
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $1,085 | +$1,023 | +$998 | +$898 |
| PSA 9 | $52.91 | −$8.47 | −$33.47 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $24.31 | −$37.07 | −$62.07 | −$162 |
Net = sale price − $36.38 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% | $311 | +$224 |
| 50% | $569 | +$482 |
| 75% | $827 | +$740 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $1,410 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,085 | −$325 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $651 | −$759 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $651 | −$759 | 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.
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Grading Michael Jordan #ma-mj — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #ma-mj worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #ma-mj sells for $1,085 against $36.38 raw: a $1,048 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.91) 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 #ma-mj worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #ma-mj (Basketball Cards 2009 Upper Deck Masterpieces) sells for about $1,085 versus $36.38 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #ma-mj?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,410, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,085. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #ma-mj 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 #ma-mj break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #ma-mj breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.91).
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