Is Mickey Johnson #86 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 75× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #86 sells for $75.20 against $1.00 raw: a $74.20 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.49) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $75.20
- PSA 9
- $24.49
- Gem premium
- 75×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $75.20 | +$49.20 | +$24.20 | −$75.80 |
| PSA 9 | $24.49 | −$1.51 | −$26.51 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $5.32 | −$20.68 | −$45.68 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $37.17 | −$13.83 |
| 50% | $49.84 | −$1.16 |
| 75% | $62.52 | +$11.52 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 | $98.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $75.20 | −$22.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$53.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$53.00 | 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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Grading Mickey Johnson #86 — FAQ
Is Mickey Johnson #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #86 sells for $75.20 against $1.00 raw: a $74.20 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.49) 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 Mickey Johnson #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #86 (Basketball Cards 1977 Topps) sells for about $75.20 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 75× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Johnson #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $98.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $75.20. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Johnson #86 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 Mickey Johnson #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mickey Johnson #86 breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.49).
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