Is Michael Jordan #187 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Collector's Choice · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #187 sells for $68.99 against $1.94 raw: a $67.05 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.61) 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)
- $1.94
- PSA 10
- $68.99
- PSA 9
- $21.61
- Gem premium
- 36×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $68.99 | +$42.05 | +$17.05 | −$82.95 |
| PSA 9 | $21.61 | −$5.33 | −$30.33 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $7.50 | −$19.44 | −$44.44 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.94 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% | $33.45 | −$18.49 |
| 50% | $45.30 | −$6.64 |
| 75% | $57.14 | +$5.20 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. 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 | $215 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.99 | −$146 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$174 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$174 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $68.99 | $41.00 | $215 | $41.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.61 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.51 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Michael Jordan #187 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #187 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #187 sells for $68.99 against $1.94 raw: a $67.05 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.61) 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 Michael Jordan #187 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #187 (Basketball Cards 1997 Collector's Choice) sells for about $68.99 versus $1.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #187?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $215, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #187 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 Michael Jordan #187 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #187 breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.61).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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