Is LeBron James #AA3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Air Academy · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 LeBron James #AA3 sells for $866 against $105 raw: a $761 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($150) 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)
- $105
- PSA 10
- $866
- PSA 9
- $150
- Gem premium
- 8.2×
- 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 | $866 | +$736 | +$711 | +$611 |
| PSA 9 | $150 | +$20.00 | −$5.00 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $63.00 | −$67.00 | −$92.00 | −$192 |
Net = sale price − $105 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% | $329 | +$174 |
| 50% | $508 | +$353 |
| 75% | $687 | +$532 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $1,126 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $866 | −$260 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $520 | −$606 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $500 | −$626 | 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.
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Other 2003 Upper Deck Air Academy cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading LeBron James #AA3 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #AA3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #AA3 sells for $866 against $105 raw: a $761 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($150) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James #AA3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #AA3 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Air Academy) sells for about $866 versus $105 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.2× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #AA3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,126, ahead of PSA 10 at $866. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #AA3 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 LeBron James #AA3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #AA3 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $150).
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