Is Michael Jordan #23 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #23 sells for $88.36 against $10.06 raw: a $78.30 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.34) 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)
- $10.06
- PSA 10
- $88.36
- PSA 9
- $20.34
- Gem premium
- 8.8×
- 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 | $88.36 | +$53.30 | +$28.30 | −$71.70 |
| PSA 9 | $20.34 | −$14.72 | −$39.72 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $11.36 | −$23.70 | −$48.70 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $10.06 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% | $37.34 | −$22.72 |
| 50% | $54.35 | −$5.71 |
| 75% | $71.35 | +$11.29 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $975 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $88.36 | −$887 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $53.00 | −$922 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $53.00 | −$922 | 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.
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Grading Michael Jordan #23 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #23 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #23 sells for $88.36 against $10.06 raw: a $78.30 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.34) 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 #23 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #23 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck) sells for about $88.36 versus $10.06 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #23?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $975, ahead of PSA 10 at $88.36. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #23 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 #23 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #23 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.34).
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