Is Kobe Bryant #189 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2002 Fleer · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #189 sells for $63.00 against $8.50 raw: a $54.50 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.70) 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)
- $8.50
- Grade 9.5
- $63.00
- PSA 9
- $57.70
- Gem premium
- 7.4×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $63.00 | +$29.50 | +$4.50 | −$95.50 |
| PSA 9 | $57.70 | +$24.20 | −$0.80 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $21.50 | −$12.00 | −$37.00 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $8.50 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% | $59.03 | +$0.53 |
| 50% | $60.35 | +$1.85 |
| 75% | $61.67 | +$3.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Kobe Bryant #189 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #189 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #189 sells for $63.00 against $8.50 raw: a $54.50 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.70) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Kobe Bryant #189 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant #189 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $57.70).
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