Is LeBron James #26 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Box Set · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 LeBron James #26 sells for $165 against $9.99 raw: a $155 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($36.09) 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)
- $9.99
- PSA 10
- $165
- PSA 9
- $36.09
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $165 | +$130 | +$105 | +$5.01 |
| PSA 9 | $36.09 | +$1.10 | −$23.90 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $25.56 | −$9.43 | −$34.43 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $9.99 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% | $68.32 | +$8.33 |
| 50% | $101 | +$40.56 |
| 75% | $133 | +$72.78 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $215 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $165 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.00 | −$116 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $76.73 | −$138 | 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 | $165 | $76.73 | $215 | $99.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $36.09 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $25.56 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $13.13 |
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 #26 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #26 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #26 sells for $165 against $9.99 raw: a $155 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($36.09) 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 #26 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #26 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Box Set) sells for about $165 versus $9.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #26?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $215, ahead of PSA 10 at $165. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #26 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 #26 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #26 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $36.09).
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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