Is Kobe Bryant #79 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2009 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 26× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #79 sells for $126 against $4.81 raw: a $121 spread, 26× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.99) 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)
- $4.81
- PSA 10
- $126
- PSA 9
- $28.99
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $126 | +$96.44 | +$71.44 | −$28.56 |
| PSA 9 | $28.99 | −$0.82 | −$25.82 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $22.77 | −$7.04 | −$32.04 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $4.81 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% | $53.30 | −$1.51 |
| 50% | $77.62 | +$22.81 |
| 75% | $102 | +$47.13 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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 | $164 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $126 | −$37.75 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $21.50 | −$143 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $17.50 | −$147 | 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 | $126 | $21.50 | $164 | $17.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $35.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $28.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $22.77 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $20.94 |
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 #79 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #79 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #79 sells for $126 against $4.81 raw: a $121 spread, 26× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.99) 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 #79 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #79 (Basketball Cards 2009 Upper Deck) sells for about $126 versus $4.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant #79?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $164, ahead of PSA 10 at $126. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kobe Bryant #79 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 #79 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant #79 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.99).
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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