Is Kobe Bryant worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2005 Spx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant sells for $165 against $52.99 raw: a $112 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.00) 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)
- $52.99
- PSA 10
- $165
- PSA 9
- $33.00
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- 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 | $165 | +$87.01 | +$62.01 | −$37.99 |
| PSA 9 | $33.00 | −$44.99 | −$69.99 | −$170 |
| PSA 8 | $29.85 | −$48.14 | −$73.14 | −$173 |
Net = sale price − $52.99 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% | $66.00 | −$36.99 |
| 50% | $99.00 | −$3.99 |
| 75% | $132 | +$29.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $215 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $165 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.00 | −$116 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.00 | −$116 | 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 | $165 | $99.00 | $215 | $99.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $162 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $33.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $29.85 |
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 Kobe Bryant — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant sells for $165 against $52.99 raw: a $112 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.00) 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 Kobe Bryant worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant (Basketball Cards 2005 Spx) sells for about $165 versus $52.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.1× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $215, ahead of PSA 10 at $165. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kobe Bryant 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 Kobe Bryant break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.00).
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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