![Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 (Basketball Cards 1996 Spx) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/h9sAAeSwx2lpQeNk/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Spx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 79× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 sells for $554 against $7.01 raw: a $547 spread, 79× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.73) 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)
- $7.01
- PSA 10
- $554
- PSA 9
- $23.73
- Gem premium
- 79×
- 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 | $554 | +$522 | +$497 | +$397 |
| PSA 9 | $23.73 | −$8.28 | −$33.28 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $15.01 | −$17.00 | −$42.00 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $7.01 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% | $156 | +$99.17 |
| 50% | $289 | +$232 |
| 75% | $421 | +$364 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $720 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $554 | −$166 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $332 | −$388 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $332 | −$388 | 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 [Gold] #24 — FAQ
Is Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 sells for $554 against $7.01 raw: a $547 spread, 79× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.73) 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 [Gold] #24 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 (Basketball Cards 1996 Spx) sells for about $554 versus $7.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 79× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Magic Johnson [Gold] #24?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $720, ahead of PSA 10 at $554. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 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 [Gold] #24 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Magic Johnson [Gold] #24 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.73).
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