Is John Williams #122 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1987 Fleer · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 John Williams #122 sells for $5,535 against $1.89 raw: a $5,533 spread, 2928× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($143) 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)
- $1.89
- PSA 10
- $5,535
- PSA 9
- $143
- Gem premium
- 2928×
- 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 | $5,535 | +$5,508 | +$5,483 | +$5,383 |
| PSA 9 | $143 | +$116 | +$91.39 | −$8.61 |
| PSA 8 | $21.10 | −$5.79 | −$30.79 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $1.89 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% | $1,491 | +$1,439 |
| 50% | $2,839 | +$2,787 |
| 75% | $4,187 | +$4,135 |
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 | $7,195 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,535 | −$1,660 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,321 | −$3,874 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,321 | −$3,874 | 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 | $5,535 | $3,321 | $7,195 | $3,321 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $153 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $143 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $21.10 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $4.54 |
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 John Williams #122 — FAQ
Is John Williams #122 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Williams #122 sells for $5,535 against $1.89 raw: a $5,533 spread, 2928× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($143) 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 John Williams #122 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Williams #122 (Basketball Cards 1987 Fleer) sells for about $5,535 versus $1.89 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2928× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Williams #122?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $7,195, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,535. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Williams #122 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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