Is Magic Johnson #28 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1992 Skybox USA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #28 sells for $82.56 against $1.84 raw: a $80.72 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.00) 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)
- $1.84
- PSA 10
- $82.56
- PSA 9
- $9.00
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $82.56 | +$55.72 | +$30.72 | −$69.28 |
| PSA 9 | $9.00 | −$17.84 | −$42.84 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $7.99 | −$18.85 | −$43.85 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.84 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% | $27.39 | −$24.45 |
| 50% | $45.78 | −$6.06 |
| 75% | $64.17 | +$12.33 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $107 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $82.56 | −$24.44 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$57.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$57.00 | 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 Magic Johnson #28 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson #28 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #28 sells for $82.56 against $1.84 raw: a $80.72 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.00) 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 Magic Johnson #28 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #28 (Basketball Cards 1992 Skybox USA) sells for about $82.56 versus $1.84 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson #28?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $107, ahead of PSA 10 at $82.56. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson #28 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 Magic Johnson #28 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Magic Johnson #28 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.00).
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