Is Michael Jordan #31 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck MJ Career Collection · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 10× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #31 sells for $508 against $48.66 raw: a $459 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.01) 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)
- $48.66
- PSA 10
- $508
- PSA 9
- $49.01
- Gem premium
- 10×
- 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 | $508 | +$434 | +$409 | +$309 |
| PSA 9 | $49.01 | −$24.65 | −$49.65 | −$150 |
| PSA 8 | $28.06 | −$45.60 | −$70.60 | −$171 |
Net = sale price − $48.66 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% | $164 | +$64.98 |
| 50% | $278 | +$180 |
| 75% | $393 | +$294 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 11%. 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 | $660 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $508 | −$152 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $305 | −$355 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $305 | −$355 | 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 | $508 | $305 | $660 | $305 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $209 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $49.01 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $28.06 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $22.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Michael Jordan #31 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #31 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #31 sells for $508 against $48.66 raw: a $459 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.01) 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 #31 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #31 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck MJ Career Collection) sells for about $508 versus $48.66 for a raw near-mint copy — a 10× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #31?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $660, ahead of PSA 10 at $508. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #31 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 #31 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #31 breaks even when it gems about 11% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.01).
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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