Is Larry Johnson #9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 50× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson #9 sells for $79.94 against $1.59 raw: a $78.35 spread, 50× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.85) 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)
- $1.59
- PSA 10
- $79.94
- PSA 9
- $15.85
- Gem premium
- 50×
- 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 | $79.94 | +$53.35 | +$28.35 | −$71.65 |
| PSA 9 | $15.85 | −$10.74 | −$35.74 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.60 | −$36.60 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.59 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% | $31.87 | −$19.72 |
| 50% | $47.89 | −$3.70 |
| 75% | $63.92 | +$12.33 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $104 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $79.94 | −$24.06 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 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.
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Other 1993 Topps Black Gold cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Larry Johnson #9 — FAQ
Is Larry Johnson #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson #9 sells for $79.94 against $1.59 raw: a $78.35 spread, 50× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.85) 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 Larry Johnson #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson #9 (Basketball Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold) sells for about $79.94 versus $1.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 50× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Johnson #9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $104, ahead of PSA 10 at $79.94. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Johnson #9 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 Larry Johnson #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Johnson #9 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.85).
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