Is Mickey Johnson #59 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1104× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #59 sells for $1,325 against $1.20 raw: a $1,324 spread, 1104× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.47) 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)
- $1.20
- PSA 10
- $1,325
- PSA 9
- $19.47
- Gem premium
- 1104×
- 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 | $1,325 | +$1,299 | +$1,274 | +$1,174 |
| PSA 9 | $19.47 | −$6.73 | −$31.73 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $12.75 | −$13.45 | −$38.45 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.20 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% | $346 | +$295 |
| 50% | $672 | +$621 |
| 75% | $999 | +$947 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $1,723 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,325 | −$398 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $795 | −$928 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $795 | −$928 | 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 | $1,325 | $795 | $1,723 | $795 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $47.41 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.47 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.75 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1979 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Mickey Johnson #59 — FAQ
Is Mickey Johnson #59 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #59 sells for $1,325 against $1.20 raw: a $1,324 spread, 1104× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.47) 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 #59 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #59 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $1,325 versus $1.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1104× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Johnson #59?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,723, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,325. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Johnson #59 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 #59 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mickey Johnson #59 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.47).
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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