Is LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2006 Upper Deck Reserve the LeBrons · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 sells for $54.79 against $4.31 raw: a $50.48 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.39) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $4.31
- PSA 10
- $54.79
- PSA 9
- $14.39
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $54.79 | +$25.48 | +$0.48 | −$99.52 |
| PSA 9 | $14.39 | −$14.92 | −$39.92 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $4.31 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% | $24.49 | −$29.82 |
| 50% | $34.59 | −$19.72 |
| 75% | $44.69 | −$9.62 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 99%. 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 | $71.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $54.79 | −$16.21 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 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.
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Grading LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 — FAQ
Is LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 sells for $54.79 against $4.31 raw: a $50.48 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.39) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 (Basketball Cards 2006 Upper Deck Reserve the LeBrons) sells for about $54.79 versus $4.31 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $71.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $54.79. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 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 LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James [Gold] #LBJ-3 breaks even when it gems about 99% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.39).
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