Is Magic Johnson #252 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1995 Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #252 sells for $102 against $3.42 raw: a $98.78 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.50) 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)
- $3.42
- PSA 10
- $102
- PSA 9
- $21.50
- 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 | $102 | +$73.78 | +$48.78 | −$51.22 |
| PSA 9 | $21.50 | −$6.92 | −$31.92 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $14.69 | −$13.73 | −$38.73 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $3.42 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% | $41.67 | −$11.75 |
| 50% | $61.85 | +$8.43 |
| 75% | $82.03 | +$28.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $133 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $102 | −$30.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $61.00 | −$72.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $61.00 | −$72.00 | 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 1995 Finest cards worth checking
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![Magic Johnson [Refractor] #252 1995 Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JSsAAOSw5olmnWfG/s-l500.jpg)
![Kevin Garnett [w/ Coating] #115 1995 Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oy8AAeSw59dqSoiF/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Magic Johnson #252 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson #252 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #252 sells for $102 against $3.42 raw: a $98.78 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.50) 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 Magic Johnson #252 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson #252 (Basketball Cards 1995 Finest) sells for about $102 versus $3.42 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson #252?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $133, ahead of PSA 10 at $102. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson #252 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 #252 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Magic Johnson #252 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.50).
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