Is Larry Bird #86 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck USA Basketball · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #86 sells for $51.83 against $1.72 raw: a $50.11 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.50) 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)
- $1.72
- PSA 10
- $51.83
- PSA 9
- $13.50
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $51.83 | +$25.11 | +$0.11 | −$99.89 |
| PSA 9 | $13.50 | −$13.22 | −$38.22 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $13.50 | −$13.22 | −$38.22 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.72 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% | $23.08 | −$28.64 |
| 50% | $32.66 | −$19.05 |
| 75% | $42.25 | −$9.47 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 100%. 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 | $67.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.83 | −$15.17 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 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 #86 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #86 sells for $51.83 against $1.72 raw: a $50.11 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.50) 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 #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird #86 (Basketball Cards 1994 Upper Deck USA Basketball) sells for about $51.83 versus $1.72 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $67.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.83. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird #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 #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Bird #86 breaks even when it gems about 100% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.50).
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