Is Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Spx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 sells for $118 against $3.14 raw: a $115 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.08) 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)
- $3.14
- PSA 10
- $118
- PSA 9
- $25.08
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $118 | +$90.01 | +$65.01 | −$34.99 |
| PSA 9 | $25.08 | −$3.06 | −$28.06 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $14.54 | −$13.60 | −$38.60 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $3.14 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% | $48.35 | −$4.79 |
| 50% | $71.62 | +$18.48 |
| 75% | $94.88 | +$41.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $154 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $118 | −$35.85 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $71.00 | −$83.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $71.00 | −$83.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Spx cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 1996 Spx card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/h9sAAeSwx2lpQeNk/s-l500.jpg)
![Anfernee Hardaway [Gold] #34 1996 Spx card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uaMAAeSw-dlqkVmQ/s-l500.jpg)
![Kevin Garnett [Gold] #31 1996 Spx card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9GAAAeSwU3ZqN~ig/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Record Breaker] #R1 1996 Spx card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/73QAAeSwuvJqpJTe/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Gold] #8 1996 Spx card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DiYAAeSwe9ZqlcpJ/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 — FAQ
Is Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 sells for $118 against $3.14 raw: a $115 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.08) 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 Johnson [Gold] #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 (Basketball Cards 1996 Spx) sells for about $118 versus $3.14 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Johnson [Gold] #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $154, ahead of PSA 10 at $118. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 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 Johnson [Gold] #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Johnson [Gold] #5 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.08).
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