Is Michael Jordan #453 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck He's Back · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 118× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #453 sells for $463 against $3.93 raw: a $459 spread, 118× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.00) 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)
- $3.93
- PSA 10
- $463
- PSA 9
- $28.00
- Gem premium
- 118×
- 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 | $463 | +$434 | +$409 | +$309 |
| PSA 9 | $28.00 | −$0.93 | −$25.93 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $25.75 | −$3.18 | −$28.18 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $3.93 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% | $137 | +$82.69 |
| 50% | $245 | +$191 |
| 75% | $354 | +$300 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $601 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $463 | −$139 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $278 | −$323 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $278 | −$323 | 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 #453 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #453 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #453 sells for $463 against $3.93 raw: a $459 spread, 118× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.00) 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 Michael Jordan #453 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #453 (Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck He's Back) sells for about $463 versus $3.93 for a raw near-mint copy — a 118× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #453?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $601, ahead of PSA 10 at $463. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #453 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 #453 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #453 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.00).
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