Is Marques Johnson #88 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1985 Star · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 68× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Marques Johnson #88 sells for $326 against $4.80 raw: a $321 spread, 68× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.00) 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)
- $4.80
- PSA 10
- $326
- PSA 9
- $26.00
- Gem premium
- 68×
- 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 | $326 | +$296 | +$271 | +$171 |
| PSA 9 | $26.00 | −$3.80 | −$28.80 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $24.81 | −$4.99 | −$29.99 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $4.80 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% | $101 | +$46.12 |
| 50% | $176 | +$121 |
| 75% | $251 | +$196 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $423 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $326 | −$97.34 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $195 | −$228 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $195 | −$228 | 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 Marques Johnson #88 — FAQ
Is Marques Johnson #88 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Marques Johnson #88 sells for $326 against $4.80 raw: a $321 spread, 68× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.00) 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 Marques Johnson #88 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Marques Johnson #88 (Basketball Cards 1985 Star) sells for about $326 versus $4.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 68× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Marques Johnson #88?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $423, ahead of PSA 10 at $326. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Marques Johnson #88 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 Marques Johnson #88 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Marques Johnson #88 breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.00).
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