Is Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 sells for $54,139 against $858 raw: a $53,282 spread, 63× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($16,230) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $858
- PSA 10
- $54,139
- PSA 9
- $16,230
- Gem premium
- 63×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $54,139 | +$53,257 | +$53,232 | +$53,132 |
| PSA 9 | $16,230 | +$15,347 | +$15,322 | +$15,222 |
| PSA 8 | $4,728 | +$3,845 | +$3,820 | +$3,720 |
Net = sale price − $858 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% | $25,707 | +$24,800 |
| 50% | $35,185 | +$34,277 |
| 75% | $44,662 | +$43,754 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $70,381 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $54,139 | −$16,242 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32,483 | −$37,898 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32,483 | −$37,898 | 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 | $54,139 | $32,483 | $70,381 | $32,483 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $22,200 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16,230 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $4,728 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $1,901 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 sells for $54,139 against $858 raw: a $53,282 spread, 63× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($16,230) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $54,139 versus $858 for a raw near-mint copy — a 63× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $70,381, ahead of PSA 10 at $54,139. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson #34 / 139 / 174 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.
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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