Is Kobe Bryant #238 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Gold Reserve · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #238 sells for $100 against $7.00 raw: a $93.00 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.62) 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)
- $7.00
- Grade 9.5
- $100
- PSA 9
- $57.62
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $100 | +$68.00 | +$43.00 | −$57.00 |
| PSA 9 | $57.62 | +$25.62 | +$0.62 | −$99.38 |
| PSA 8 | $15.84 | −$16.16 | −$41.16 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $7.00 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% | $68.22 | +$11.22 |
| 50% | $78.81 | +$21.81 |
| 75% | $89.41 | +$32.41 |
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 Kobe Bryant #238 — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant #238 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Kobe Bryant #238 sells for $100 against $7.00 raw: a $93.00 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($57.62) 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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