Is Larry Bird #16 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1992 Skybox USA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 53× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #16 sells for $79.44 against $1.49 raw: a $77.95 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $79.44
- PSA 9
- $17.00
- Gem premium
- 53×
- 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 | $79.44 | +$52.95 | +$27.95 | −$72.05 |
| PSA 9 | $17.00 | −$9.49 | −$34.49 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $15.00 | −$11.49 | −$36.49 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $32.61 | −$18.88 |
| 50% | $48.22 | −$3.27 |
| 75% | $63.83 | +$12.34 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 55%. 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 | $103 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $79.44 | −$23.56 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$55.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $24.95 | −$78.05 | 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 | $79.44 | $48.00 | $103 | $24.95 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $33.35 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other 1992 Skybox USA cards worth checking
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Grading Larry Bird #16 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird #16 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #16 sells for $79.44 against $1.49 raw: a $77.95 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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 Larry Bird #16 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #16 (Basketball Cards 1992 Skybox USA) sells for about $79.44 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 53× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird #16?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $103, ahead of PSA 10 at $79.44. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird #16 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 Larry Bird #16 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Bird #16 breaks even when it gems about 55% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.00).
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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