Is George Johnson #55 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 109× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 George Johnson #55 sells for $142 against $1.30 raw: a $140 spread, 109× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.38) 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)
- $1.30
- PSA 10
- $142
- PSA 9
- $13.38
- Gem premium
- 109×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $142 | +$115 | +$90.45 | −$9.55 |
| PSA 9 | $13.38 | −$12.92 | −$37.92 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $12.30 | −$14.00 | −$39.00 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.30 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% | $45.47 | −$5.83 |
| 50% | $77.56 | +$26.27 |
| 75% | $110 | +$58.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $184 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $142 | −$42.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $85.00 | −$99.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $85.00 | −$99.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $142 | $85.00 | $184 | $85.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $51.26 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.38 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.30 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading George Johnson #55 — FAQ
Is George Johnson #55 worth grading?
A PSA 10 George Johnson #55 sells for $142 against $1.30 raw: a $140 spread, 109× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.38) 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 George Johnson #55 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 George Johnson #55 (Basketball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $142 versus $1.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 109× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for George Johnson #55?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $184, ahead of PSA 10 at $142. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does George Johnson #55 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 George Johnson #55 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting George Johnson #55 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.38).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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