Is Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 sells for $225 against $24.09 raw: a $200 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($44.67) 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)
- $24.09
- PSA 10
- $225
- PSA 9
- $44.67
- Gem premium
- 9.3×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $225 | +$175 | +$150 | +$50.41 |
| PSA 9 | $44.67 | −$4.42 | −$29.42 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $17.73 | −$31.36 | −$56.36 | −$156 |
Net = sale price − $24.09 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% | $89.63 | +$15.54 |
| 50% | $135 | +$60.50 |
| 75% | $180 | +$105 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $292 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $225 | −$67.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$242 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $24.61 | −$267 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2008 Upper Deck Starquest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![LeBron James [Gold] #SQ-17 2008 Upper Deck Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/nn0AAeSw8fBqWhbH/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Blue] #SQ-5 2008 Upper Deck Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wgQAAOSwOkFieo95/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Cyan] #SQ-20 2008 Upper Deck Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OzcAAeSwVD9qt7Kw/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Gold] #SQ-5 2008 Upper Deck Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MJsAAeSwf79qYNca/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Blue] #SQ-20 2008 Upper Deck Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fxcAAeSwzMJplQPd/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 sells for $225 against $24.09 raw: a $200 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($44.67) 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 #SQ-5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 (Basketball Cards 2008 Upper Deck Starquest) sells for about $225 versus $24.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.3× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant #SQ-5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $292, ahead of PSA 10 at $225. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 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 #SQ-5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant #SQ-5 breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.67).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
