Is Kobe Bryant #138 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #138 sells for $16,093 against $1,556 raw: a $14,537 spread, 10× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,517) 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): $1,556
PSA 10: $16,093
PSA 9: $4,517
Gem premium: 10×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Kobe Bryant #138: 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	$16,093	+$14,512	+$14,487	+$14,387
PSA 9	$4,517	+$2,936	+$2,911	+$2,811
PSA 8	$2,400	+$819	+$794	+$694

Net = sale price − $1,556 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?

Kobe Bryant #138: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$7,411	+$5,805
50%	$10,305	+$8,699
75%	$13,199	+$11,593

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 →

Kobe Bryant #138: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
PSA 10	$16,093	best	55/45	75/25
BGS 10	$12,999	−$3,094	55/45	70/30
CGC 10	$9,656	−$6,437	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$3,600	−$12,493	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 →

Kobe Bryant #138 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$16,093	$9,656	$12,999	$3,600	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$5,523
9	—	—	—	—	$4,517
8	—	—	—	—	$2,400
7	—	—	—	—	$1,839

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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Grading Kobe Bryant #138 — FAQ

Is Kobe Bryant #138 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #138 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant #138 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome) sells for about $16,093 versus $1,556 for a raw near-mint copy — a 10× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant #138?

By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $16,093, ahead of BGS 10 at $12,999. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Kobe Bryant #138 need for a PSA 10?

PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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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