Is LeBron James [Fotl] #293 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2018 Panini Noir · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 LeBron James [Fotl] #293 sells for $520 against $378 raw: a $142 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($473) 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)
- $378
- Grade 9.5
- $520
- PSA 9
- $473
- Gem premium
- 1.4×
- 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 | $520 | +$117 | +$92.00 | −$8.00 |
| PSA 9 | $473 | +$70.00 | +$45.00 | −$55.00 |
Net = sale price − $378 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% | $485 | +$56.75 |
| 50% | $497 | +$68.50 |
| 75% | $508 | +$80.25 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading LeBron James [Fotl] #293 — FAQ
Is LeBron James [Fotl] #293 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 LeBron James [Fotl] #293 sells for $520 against $378 raw: a $142 spread, 1.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($473) 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.
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