Is Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck USA Basketball · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 47× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 sells for $101 against $2.16 raw: a $98.53 spread, 47× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.81) 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)
- $2.16
- PSA 10
- $101
- PSA 9
- $21.81
- Gem premium
- 47×
- 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 | $101 | +$73.53 | +$48.53 | −$51.47 |
| PSA 9 | $21.81 | −$5.35 | −$30.35 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $10.51 | −$16.65 | −$41.65 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.16 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% | $41.53 | −$10.63 |
| 50% | $61.25 | +$9.09 |
| 75% | $80.97 | +$28.81 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $131 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $101 | −$30.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$71.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$71.00 | 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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Other 1994 Upper Deck USA Basketball cards worth checking
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Grading Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 sells for $101 against $2.16 raw: a $98.53 spread, 47× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.81) 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 [Gold Medal] #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 (Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck USA Basketball) sells for about $101 versus $2.16 for a raw near-mint copy — a 47× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $131, ahead of PSA 10 at $101. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 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 [Gold Medal] #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Bird [Gold Medal] #86 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.81).
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