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LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 (Basketball Cards 2007 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 2007 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 sells for $825 against $260 raw: a $565 spread, 3.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($750) 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)
$260
Grade 9.5
$825
PSA 9
$750
Gem premium
3.2×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

LeBron James [1st Edition] #23: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5$825+$540+$515+$415
PSA 9$750+$465+$440+$340
PSA 8$345+$59.90+$34.90−$65.10

Net = sale price − $260 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?

LeBron James [1st Edition] #23: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$769+$459
50%$788+$478
75%$806+$497

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$825
9$750
8$345
7$310

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 [1st Edition] #23 — FAQ

Is LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 worth grading?

A Grade 9.5 LeBron James [1st Edition] #23 sells for $825 against $260 raw: a $565 spread, 3.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($750) 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.

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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