This is a 1989 Fleer #21 Michael Jordan (base card, often called the “scoring average leader” card from the 1989-90 set). It features Jordan in a classic dunk pose on the front, with the Chicago Bulls logo, “GUARD” designation, and a yellow “SCORING AVG. LDR.” banner in the lower left. The back includes his bio, 1988-89 stats (highlighting 32.5 PPG as the league leader), and the “DID YOU KNOW?” fact about his scoring titles.

As a professional grader simulating PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and BGS (Beckett Grading Services) standards, I evaluated the card using the provided high-resolution photos. These show the front, back, corners/edges (close-ups), and borders. I cross-referenced against known population reports, common defects for this issue, and images of graded examples (PSA 8–10 and BGS equivalents).

Key Grading Factors (PSA Standards) PSA evaluates four main areas on a 1–10 scale (with sub-grades possible), requiring near-perfection for Gem Mint 10:

Centering — Must be 55/45 or better on front (tighter tolerances for 10); back is more lenient but still factors in.

Corners — Sharp, no whitening, dings, or soft/frayed edges.

Edges — Clean, no chipping, nicks, or roughness (especially on the red borders and white stock).

Surface — No scratches, print defects, wax residue, staining, or gloss loss. 1989 Fleer cards often show minor print lines or border wear.

BGS breaks it into sub-grades (Corners, Edges, Centering, Surface on a 1–10 scale) for a final grade, with stricter eye appeal for higher numbers.

Grok AI Scores

Front Overall: The card presents well at first glance with vibrant red borders, sharp Bulls logo sticker, and clear photo. However, close-ups reveal issues.

Corners: The bottom-left corner (near the yellow banner) shows visible wear, slight rounding/softening, and minor whitening/fraying along the white border edge. Top corners appear sharper but have subtle edge wear. This is a common downgrade trigger on 1989 Fleer cards due to the thin stock and red/white contrast.

Edges: Red borders exhibit typical factory/handling roughness and minor chipping, especially visible in angled close-ups. The white outer border has some discoloration or handling marks. No major dents, but not pristine.

Centering: Appears slightly off (likely 60/40 or worse left-to-right on the front image area). 1989 Fleer Jordans are notoriously difficult to find well-centered; many high-grade examples fail here.

Surface: The photo area looks clean with good gloss and no major scratches or print defects visible in the provided shots. The yellow banner and text are crisp. Minor handling marks or faint lines may be present under magnification (common for the set).

Back: Stats table and text are legible. Red sections can show wear easily, but no major stains or creases noted. Some typical border fading/edge wear.

No obvious major defects like creases, heavy staining, or cuts. The card is authentic based on design/print quality matching known examples.

Grok AI Overall Score: 7-8

PSA: PSA 7 (Near Mint) to low PSA 8 (NM-MT). Corners and edges are the primary limiters (softening/whitening drops it from higher grades). Centering is average for the set but not elite. Surface is a relative strength.

PSA 8 population is high (9,500+), with many more in lower grades. Gem Mint 10s are tough (1,200–1,300 pop out of ~27,000+ total graded), often requiring exceptional centering and razor-sharp corners that this one lacks.

BGS: Likely BGS 7.5–8 (sub-grades might be Corners 7–7.5, Edges 7.5, Centering 8, Surface 8.5). BGS is stricter on eye appeal and sub-grades; this wouldn’t reach 9+ without cleaner corners/edges.

Crescent Vale Self-Graded Scores

Centering: There was some discrepancies and resulted with 8.5.

Edges: There was a flaw with the bottom edge with discoloration and scored a 7.

Corners: The corners were excellent and scored a 8.5.

Surface: There was minor wear on the surface and scored a 9.

Crescent Vale Self-Graded Overall Score: 8.5 Near Mint to Mint+

Please Note: This card is housed in a custom display slab for superior protection and presentation. While the label may include descriptive details, this is not a grade from a third-party professional service (such as PSA, BGS, or SGC). The card is being sold as Raw/Ungraded. Please review the high-resolution photos provided to make your own assessment of the card’s condition before bidding or purchasing.