Is Checklist #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1986 Star Michael Jordan · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Checklist #1 sells for $4,937 against $1,170 raw: a $3,767 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,488) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1,170
- Grade 9.5
- $4,937
- PSA 9
- $4,488
- Gem premium
- 4.2×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $4,937 | +$3,742 | +$3,717 | +$3,617 |
| PSA 9 | $4,488 | +$3,293 | +$3,268 | +$3,168 |
| PSA 8 | $3,002 | +$1,807 | +$1,782 | +$1,682 |
Net = sale price − $1,170 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% | $4,600 | +$3,380 |
| 50% | $4,713 | +$3,492 |
| 75% | $4,825 | +$3,605 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Checklist #1 — FAQ
Is Checklist #1 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Checklist #1 sells for $4,937 against $1,170 raw: a $3,767 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,488) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
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