Is Kobe Bryant #59 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck Encore · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #59 sells for $47.00 against $15.00 raw: a $32.00 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.00) 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)
- $15.00
- Grade 9.5
- $47.00
- PSA 9
- $43.00
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $47.00 | +$7.00 | −$18.00 | −$118 |
| PSA 9 | $43.00 | +$3.00 | −$22.00 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $32.50 | −$7.50 | −$32.50 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $15.00 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $44.00 | −$21.00 |
| 50% | $45.00 | −$20.00 |
| 75% | $46.00 | −$19.00 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | best | 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 | CGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $35.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $47.00 |
| 9 | — | $43.00 |
| 8 | — | $32.50 |
| 7 | — | $5.50 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Kobe Bryant #59 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #59 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #59 sells for $47.00 against $15.00 raw: a $32.00 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.00) 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.
What centering does Kobe Bryant #59 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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.
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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