Is Michael Jordan #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Mjx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #1 sells for $105 against $5.50 raw: a $99.68 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.95) 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)
- $5.50
- PSA 10
- $105
- PSA 9
- $23.95
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $105 | +$74.68 | +$49.68 | −$50.32 |
| PSA 9 | $23.95 | −$6.55 | −$31.55 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $19.99 | −$10.51 | −$35.51 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $5.50 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% | $44.26 | −$11.24 |
| 50% | $64.56 | +$9.06 |
| 75% | $84.87 | +$29.37 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $137 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $105 | −$31.82 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $63.00 | −$74.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $63.00 | −$74.00 | 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 | $105 | $63.00 | $137 | $63.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $55.12 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.95 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Other 1998 Upper Deck Mjx cards worth checking
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Grading Michael Jordan #1 — FAQ
Is Michael Jordan #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #1 sells for $105 against $5.50 raw: a $99.68 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.95) 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 #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Michael Jordan #1 (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Mjx) sells for about $105 versus $5.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Michael Jordan #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $137, ahead of PSA 10 at $105. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Michael Jordan #1 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Michael Jordan #1 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.95).
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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