$Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?$

Is Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 sells for $3,805 against $1,070 raw: a $2,735 spread, 3.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,850) 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): $1,070
PSA 10: $3,805
PSA 9: $1,850
Gem premium: 3.6×
As of: Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171: 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	$3,805	+$2,710	+$2,685	+$2,585
PSA 9	$1,850	+$755	+$730	+$630
PSA 8	$1,299	+$204	+$179	+$78.57

Net = sale price − $1,070 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 [Refractor] #171: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$2,339	+$1,218
50%	$2,828	+$1,707
75%	$3,316	+$2,196

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 [Refractor] #171: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$4,947	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$3,805	−$1,142	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$2,283	−$2,664	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$2,283	−$2,664	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 [Refractor] #171 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$3,805	$2,283	$4,947	$2,283	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$3,050
9	—	—	—	—	$1,850
8	—	—	—	—	$1,299
7	—	—	—	—	$436

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 1997 Topps Chrome cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Michael Jordan #123

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Kobe Bryant #171

Raw $44.73PSA 10 $1,097

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Allen Iverson [Refractor] #54

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Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #109

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Michael Jordan [Refractor] #123

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Grading Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 — FAQ

Is Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome) sells for about $3,805 versus $1,070 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.6× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $4,947, ahead of PSA 10 at $3,805. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #171 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.

Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?

Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.

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