![LeBron James [Premium] #30 (Basketball Cards 2018 Panini Contenders) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/agAAAOSwQHlkf~6i/s-l1600.jpg)
Is LeBron James [Premium] #30 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2018 Panini Contenders · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 29× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Premium] #30 sells for $129 against $4.37 raw: a $124 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.52) 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)
- $4.37
- PSA 10
- $129
- PSA 9
- $11.52
- Gem premium
- 29×
- 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 | $129 | +$99.47 | +$74.47 | −$25.53 |
| PSA 9 | $11.52 | −$17.85 | −$42.85 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $7.50 | −$21.87 | −$46.87 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $4.37 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% | $40.85 | −$13.52 |
| 50% | $70.18 | +$15.81 |
| 75% | $99.51 | +$45.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 | $167 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $129 | −$38.16 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $77.00 | −$90.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $77.00 | −$90.00 | 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 | $129 | $77.00 | $167 | $77.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $13.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.52 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2018 Panini Contenders cards worth checking
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Grading LeBron James [Premium] #30 — FAQ
Is LeBron James [Premium] #30 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Premium] #30 sells for $129 against $4.37 raw: a $124 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.52) 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 LeBron James [Premium] #30 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Premium] #30 (Basketball Cards 2018 Panini Contenders) sells for about $129 versus $4.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 29× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James [Premium] #30?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $167, ahead of PSA 10 at $129. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James [Premium] #30 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 LeBron James [Premium] #30 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James [Premium] #30 breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.52).
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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