Is Mickey Johnson #98 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 194× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #98 sells for $306 against $1.58 raw: a $304 spread, 194× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.49) 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)
- $1.58
- PSA 10
- $306
- PSA 9
- $17.49
- Gem premium
- 194×
- 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 | $306 | +$279 | +$254 | +$154 |
| PSA 9 | $17.49 | −$9.09 | −$34.09 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $13.90 | −$12.68 | −$37.68 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.58 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% | $89.56 | +$37.98 |
| 50% | $162 | +$110 |
| 75% | $234 | +$182 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $398 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $306 | −$92.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $183 | −$215 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $183 | −$215 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1981 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Charlie Criss [East] #E67 1981 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/PtwAAOSwiJ9l7iKf/s-l500.jpg)
![Magic Johnson [West] #W109 1981 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EigAAeSwvdxqVEva/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mickey Johnson #98 — FAQ
Is Mickey Johnson #98 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #98 sells for $306 against $1.58 raw: a $304 spread, 194× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.49) 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 #98 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mickey Johnson #98 (Basketball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $306 versus $1.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 194× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mickey Johnson #98?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $398, ahead of PSA 10 at $306. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mickey Johnson #98 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 #98 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mickey Johnson #98 breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.49).
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