Is Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 107× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 sells for $190 against $1.78 raw: a $189 spread, 107× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.74) 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)
- $1.78
- PSA 10
- $190
- PSA 9
- $26.74
- Gem premium
- 107×
- 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 | $190 | +$164 | +$139 | +$38.59 |
| PSA 9 | $26.74 | −$0.04 | −$25.04 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $9.18 | −$17.60 | −$42.60 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.78 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% | $67.65 | +$15.87 |
| 50% | $109 | +$56.78 |
| 75% | $149 | +$97.68 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $247 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $190 | −$56.63 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $114 | −$133 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $114 | −$133 | 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 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 — FAQ
Is Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 sells for $190 against $1.78 raw: a $189 spread, 107× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.74) 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 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $190 versus $1.78 for a raw near-mint copy — a 107× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $247, ahead of PSA 10 at $190. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 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 Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Ford / Marques Johnson / Bob McAdoo #55 / 89 / 144 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.74).
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