Is LeBron James [Purple] #2 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2021 Panini Donruss Optic T Minus 3 2 1 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Purple] #2 sells for $56.00 against $3.03 raw: a $52.97 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.68) 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)
- $3.03
- PSA 10
- $56.00
- PSA 9
- $12.68
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $56.00 | +$27.97 | +$2.97 | −$97.03 |
| PSA 9 | $12.68 | −$15.35 | −$40.35 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $4.75 | −$23.28 | −$48.28 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $3.03 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% | $23.51 | −$29.52 |
| 50% | $34.34 | −$18.69 |
| 75% | $45.17 | −$7.86 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 93%. 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 | $73.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $56.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 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 [Purple] #2 — FAQ
Is LeBron James [Purple] #2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Purple] #2 sells for $56.00 against $3.03 raw: a $52.97 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.68) 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 [Purple] #2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James [Purple] #2 (Basketball Cards 2021 Panini Donruss Optic T Minus 3 2 1) sells for about $56.00 versus $3.03 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James [Purple] #2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $73.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $56.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James [Purple] #2 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 [Purple] #2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James [Purple] #2 breaks even when it gems about 93% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.68).
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