![Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G (Basketball Cards 1997 Ultra) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/u34AAeSw6AZqQwoP/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Ultra · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G sells for $2,027 against $281 raw: a $1,746 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($277) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $281
- PSA 10
- $2,027
- PSA 9
- $277
- Gem premium
- 7.2×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $2,027 | +$1,721 | +$1,696 | +$1,596 |
| PSA 9 | $277 | −$29.00 | −$54.00 | −$154 |
| PSA 8 | $212 | −$94.14 | −$119 | −$219 |
Net = sale price − $281 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% | $714 | +$384 |
| 50% | $1,152 | +$821 |
| 75% | $1,589 | +$1,259 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $2,635 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,027 | −$608 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,216 | −$1,419 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,216 | −$1,419 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,027 | $1,216 | $2,635 | $1,216 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $697 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $277 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $212 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $79.88 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Ultra cards worth checking
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![Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #252G 1997 Ultra card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DqQAAeSw6wpqWZkR/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Gold Medallion] #23G 1997 Ultra card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3ksAAeSww3lqJqiP/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G — FAQ
Is Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G sells for $2,027 against $281 raw: a $1,746 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($277) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G (Basketball Cards 1997 Ultra) sells for about $2,027 versus $281 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,635, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,027. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G 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 Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kobe Bryant [Gold Medallion] #1G breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $277).
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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