Is Kobe Bryant #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Hoops Calling Card · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #1 sells for $84.00 against $28.88 raw: a $55.12 spread, 2.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($76.71) 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)
- $28.88
- Grade 9.5
- $84.00
- PSA 9
- $76.71
- Gem premium
- 2.9×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $84.00 | +$30.12 | +$5.12 | −$94.88 |
| PSA 9 | $76.71 | +$22.83 | −$2.17 | −$102 |
| PSA 8 | $34.50 | −$19.38 | −$44.38 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $28.88 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% | $78.53 | −$0.35 |
| 50% | $80.35 | +$1.47 |
| 75% | $82.18 | +$3.30 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Kobe Bryant #1 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #1 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #1 sells for $84.00 against $28.88 raw: a $55.12 spread, 2.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($76.71) 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 gem rate makes grading Kobe Bryant #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant #1 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $76.71).
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