Is LeBron James #36 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2017 Panini Contenders Draft Picks · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of LeBron James #36 sell for $18.00, only $14.01 above the $3.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($14.97) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $3.99
- PSA 10
- $18.00
- PSA 9
- $14.97
- Gem premium
- 4.5×
- 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 | $18.00 | −$10.99 | −$35.99 | −$136 |
| PSA 9 | $14.97 | −$14.02 | −$39.02 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $13.93 | −$15.06 | −$40.06 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $3.99 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% | $15.73 | −$38.26 |
| 50% | $16.48 | −$37.51 |
| 75% | $17.24 | −$36.75 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $23.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $18.00 | −$5.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $11.00 | −$12.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $11.00 | −$12.00 | 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 | $18.00 | $11.00 | $23.00 | $11.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $18.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.97 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.93 |
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 LeBron James #36 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #36 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of LeBron James #36 sell for $18.00, only $14.01 above the $3.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($14.97) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James #36 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #36 (Basketball Cards 2017 Panini Contenders Draft Picks) sells for about $18.00 versus $3.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.5× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #36?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $23.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $18.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #36 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.
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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