Is Kobe Bryant #172 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2015 Panini Hoops · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 11× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #172 sells for $142 against $13.25 raw: a $129 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $13.25
- PSA 10
- $142
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $142 | +$104 | +$78.87 | −$21.13 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | −$8.26 | −$33.26 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $15.50 | −$22.75 | −$47.75 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $13.25 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% | $58.02 | −$5.23 |
| 50% | $86.06 | +$22.81 |
| 75% | $114 | +$50.84 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $185 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $142 | −$42.88 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $85.00 | −$100 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $22.90 | −$162 | 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 | $142 | $85.00 | $185 | $22.90 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $39.99 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.35 |
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 Kobe Bryant #172 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #172 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #172 sells for $142 against $13.25 raw: a $129 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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 Kobe Bryant #172 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #172 (Basketball Cards 2015 Panini Hoops) sells for about $142 versus $13.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant #172?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $185, ahead of PSA 10 at $142. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kobe Bryant #172 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 Kobe Bryant #172 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant #172 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.99).
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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