Is LeBron James #18 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James #18 sells for $152 against $6.97 raw: a $145 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.25) 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)
- $6.97
- PSA 10
- $152
- PSA 9
- $27.25
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $152 | +$120 | +$95.45 | −$4.55 |
| PSA 9 | $27.25 | −$4.72 | −$29.72 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $19.99 | −$11.98 | −$36.98 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $6.97 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% | $58.54 | +$1.57 |
| 50% | $89.83 | +$32.86 |
| 75% | $121 | +$64.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $198 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $152 | −$45.58 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $65.00 | −$133 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.95 | −$148 | 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 | $152 | $49.95 | $198 | $65.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $34.01 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $27.25 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $10.38 |
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 →
![LeBron James [2007 Cleveland National] #20 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TCYAAOSwFMhiDYMb/s-l500.jpg)
Grading LeBron James #18 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #18 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #18 sells for $152 against $6.97 raw: a $145 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.25) 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 #18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #18 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Phenomenal Beginning) sells for about $152 versus $6.97 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $198, ahead of PSA 10 at $152. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #18 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 #18 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #18 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.25).
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.
Check my card free