
Is Mike Bantom #9 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 2539× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mike Bantom #9 sells for $3,250 against $1.28 raw: a $3,249 spread, 2539× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.38) 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)
- $1.28
- PSA 10
- $3,250
- PSA 9
- $17.38
- Gem premium
- 2539×
- 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 | $3,250 | +$3,224 | +$3,199 | +$3,099 |
| PSA 9 | $17.38 | −$8.90 | −$33.90 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $16.00 | −$10.28 | −$35.28 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.28 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% | $826 | +$774 |
| 50% | $1,634 | +$1,582 |
| 75% | $2,442 | +$2,391 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $3,250 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,950 | −$1,300 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,950 | −$1,300 | 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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Full set checklist →Grading Mike Bantom #9 — FAQ
Is Mike Bantom #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mike Bantom #9 sells for $3,250 against $1.28 raw: a $3,249 spread, 2539× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.38) 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 Mike Bantom #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike Bantom #9 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $3,250 versus $1.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2539× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike Bantom #9?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $3,250, ahead of CGC 10 at $1,950. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike Bantom #9 need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Mike Bantom #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mike Bantom #9 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.38).
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