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Is Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 2000 Upper Deck · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 sells for $385 against $21.11 raw: a $364 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($350) 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)
$21.11
Grade 9.5
$385
PSA 9
$350
Gem premium
18×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5$385+$339+$314+$214
PSA 9$350+$304+$279+$179
PSA 8$103+$56.41+$31.41−$68.59

Net = sale price − $21.11 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?

Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$359+$288
50%$368+$296
75%$376+$305

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$385
9$350
8$103
7$82.00

Run your own numbers

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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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Grading Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 — FAQ

Is Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 worth grading?

A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant [Gold] #188 sells for $385 against $21.11 raw: a $364 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($350) 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.

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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