
Is LeBron James #13 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 28× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James #13 sells for $247 against $8.86 raw: a $238 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.19) 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)
- $8.86
- PSA 10
- $247
- PSA 9
- $33.19
- Gem premium
- 28×
- 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 | $247 | +$213 | +$188 | +$88.14 |
| PSA 9 | $33.19 | −$0.67 | −$25.67 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $23.93 | −$9.93 | −$34.93 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $8.86 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% | $86.64 | +$27.78 |
| 50% | $140 | +$81.24 |
| 75% | $194 | +$135 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $321 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $247 | −$74.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $148 | −$173 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.60 | −$263 | 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 | $247 | $148 | $321 | $57.60 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $33.19 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.93 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $13.78 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading LeBron James #13 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #13 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #13 sells for $247 against $8.86 raw: a $238 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.19) 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 LeBron James #13 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #13 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning) sells for about $247 versus $8.86 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #13?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $321, ahead of PSA 10 at $247. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #13 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 #13 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #13 breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.19).
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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