Is Earvin Johnson #77 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1989 Fleer · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 83× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Earvin Johnson #77 sells for $137 against $1.65 raw: a $135 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.15) 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)
- $1.65
- PSA 10
- $137
- PSA 9
- $18.15
- Gem premium
- 83×
- 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 | $137 | +$110 | +$84.85 | −$15.15 |
| PSA 9 | $18.15 | −$8.50 | −$33.50 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $12.26 | −$14.39 | −$39.39 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.65 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% | $47.74 | −$3.91 |
| 50% | $77.33 | +$25.67 |
| 75% | $107 | +$55.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $177 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $137 | −$40.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.00 | −$95.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $82.00 | −$95.00 | 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 Earvin Johnson #77 — FAQ
Is Earvin Johnson #77 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Earvin Johnson #77 sells for $137 against $1.65 raw: a $135 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.15) 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 Earvin Johnson #77 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Earvin Johnson #77 (Basketball Cards 1989 Fleer) sells for about $137 versus $1.65 for a raw near-mint copy — a 83× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Earvin Johnson #77?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $177, ahead of PSA 10 at $137. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Earvin Johnson #77 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 Earvin Johnson #77 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Earvin Johnson #77 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.15).
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