Is Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Finest · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 sells for $872 against $69.00 raw: a $803 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($158) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM): $69.00
PSA 10: $872
PSA 9: $158
Gem premium: 13×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$872	+$778	+$753	+$653
PSA 9	$158	+$63.76	+$38.76	−$61.24
PSA 8	$86.32	−$7.68	−$32.68	−$133

Net = sale price − $69.00 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?

Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$336	+$217
50%	$515	+$396
75%	$693	+$574

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$1,133	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$872	−$262	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$523	−$610	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$523	−$610	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 →

Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$872	$523	$1,133	$523	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$174
9	—	—	—	—	$158
8	—	—	—	—	$86.32
7	—	—	—	—	$55.88

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1998 Finest cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

$Kobe Bryant [Non Protected Refractor] #175 1998 Finest card$

Kobe Bryant [Non Protected Refractor] #175

Raw $31.39PSA 10 $1,950

$Michael Jordan [Refractor] #81 1998 Finest card$

Michael Jordan [Refractor] #81

Raw $635PSA 10 $17,000

Kobe Bryant [w/ Coating] #175

Raw $29.42PSA 10 $528

$Paul Pierce [Refractor] #235 1998 Finest card$

Paul Pierce [Refractor] #235

Raw $107PSA 10 $1,500

Michael Jordan #81

Raw $69.50PSA 10 $711

$Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #175 1998 Finest card$

Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #175

Raw $374PSA 10 $3,334

Grading Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 — FAQ

Is Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 (Basketball Cards 1998 Finest) sells for about $872 versus $69.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,133, ahead of PSA 10 at $872. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Michael Jordan [w/ Coating] #81 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.

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