Is LeBron James [Gold] #221 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #221 sells for $66,000 against $192 raw: a $65,808 spread, 344× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($55,000) 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): $192
PSA 10: $66,000
PSA 9: $55,000
Gem premium: 344×
As of: Nov 1, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

LeBron James [Gold] #221: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$66,000	+$65,783	+$65,758	+$65,658
PSA 9	$55,000	+$54,783	+$54,758	+$54,658
PSA 8	$50,000	+$49,783	+$49,758	+$49,658

Net = sale price − $192 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?

LeBron James [Gold] #221: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$57,750	+$57,508
50%	$60,500	+$60,258
75%	$63,250	+$63,008

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

LeBron James [Gold] #221: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$85,800	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$66,000	−$19,800	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$39,600	−$46,200	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$26,400	−$59,400	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 →

LeBron James [Gold] #221 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$66,000	$26,400	$85,800	$39,600	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$60,500
9	—	—	—	—	$55,000
8	—	—	—	—	$50,000
7	—	—	—	—	$42,100

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 2003 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Dwyane Wade [Gold] #225

Raw $29.73PSA 10 $884

Dwyane Wade [1st Edition] #225

Raw $21.78PSA 10 $454

LeBron James [1st Edition] #221

Raw $671PSA 10 $7,150

LeBron James [Gold]

Raw $218PSA 10 $2,130

LeBron James #221

Raw $858PSA 10 $7,368

LeBron James [Collection] #221

Raw $516PSA 10 $4,250

Grading LeBron James [Gold] #221 — FAQ

Is LeBron James [Gold] #221 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #221 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 LeBron James [Gold] #221 (Basketball Cards 2003 Topps) sells for about $66,000 versus $192 for a raw near-mint copy — a 344× premium as of Nov 1, 2026.

Which grading company is best for LeBron James [Gold] #221?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $85,800, ahead of PSA 10 at $66,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does LeBron James [Gold] #221 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.

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