Is LeBron James #16 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 LeBron James #16 sells for $145 against $6.24 raw: a $139 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.00) 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)
- $6.24
- PSA 10
- $145
- PSA 9
- $35.00
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 | $145 | +$114 | +$88.82 | −$11.18 |
| PSA 9 | $35.00 | +$3.76 | −$21.24 | −$121 |
| PSA 8 | $16.26 | −$14.98 | −$39.98 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $6.24 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% | $62.52 | +$6.27 |
| 50% | $90.03 | +$33.79 |
| 75% | $118 | +$61.31 |
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 | $189 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $145 | −$43.94 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$139 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$149 | 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 | $145 | $40.00 | $189 | $50.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $43.80 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $35.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.26 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $13.00 |
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 #16 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #16 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #16 sells for $145 against $6.24 raw: a $139 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.00) 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 #16 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #16 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning) sells for about $145 versus $6.24 for a raw near-mint copy — a 23× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #16?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $189, ahead of PSA 10 at $145. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #16 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 #16 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #16 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.00).
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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