![LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Top Prospects) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QE8AAeSwP19qZ-3M/s-l1600.jpg)
Is LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Top Prospects · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 sells for $4,000 against $450 raw: a $3,550 spread, 8.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($332) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $450
- PSA 10
- $4,000
- PSA 9
- $332
- Gem premium
- 8.9×
- 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 | $4,000 | +$3,525 | +$3,500 | +$3,400 |
| PSA 9 | $332 | −$143 | −$168 | −$268 |
| PSA 8 | $302 | −$173 | −$198 | −$298 |
Net = sale price − $450 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% | $1,249 | +$749 |
| 50% | $2,166 | +$1,666 |
| 75% | $3,083 | +$2,583 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $5,000 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $4,000 | −$1,000 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,400 | −$2,600 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,400 | −$2,600 | 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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Grading LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 — FAQ
Is LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 sells for $4,000 against $450 raw: a $3,550 spread, 8.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($332) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 (Basketball Cards 2003 Upper Deck Top Prospects) sells for about $4,000 versus $450 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $5,000, ahead of PSA 10 at $4,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 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 [Gold Collection] #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James [Gold Collection] #3 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $332).
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