Is John Long #65 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1987 Fleer · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 588× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Long #65 sells for $1,230 against $2.09 raw: a $1,227 spread, 588× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.57) 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)
- $2.09
- PSA 10
- $1,230
- PSA 9
- $26.57
- Gem premium
- 588×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $1,230 | +$1,202 | +$1,177 | +$1,077 |
| PSA 9 | $26.57 | −$0.52 | −$25.52 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $19.99 | −$7.10 | −$32.10 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $2.09 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% | $327 | +$275 |
| 50% | $628 | +$576 |
| 75% | $929 | +$877 |
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 | $1,598 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,230 | −$368 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $738 | −$860 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $738 | −$860 | 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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Other 1987 Fleer cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading John Long #65 — FAQ
Is John Long #65 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Long #65 sells for $1,230 against $2.09 raw: a $1,227 spread, 588× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.57) 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 John Long #65 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Long #65 (Basketball Cards 1987 Fleer) sells for about $1,230 versus $2.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 588× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Long #65?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,598, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,230. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Long #65 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 John Long #65 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Long #65 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.57).
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