Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2000 Topps Gold Label Class 1 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $60.00 against $6.99 raw: a $53.01 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.22) 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)
- $6.99
- Grade 9.5
- $60.00
- PSA 9
- $54.22
- Gem premium
- 8.6×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $60.00 | +$28.01 | +$3.01 | −$96.99 |
| PSA 9 | $54.22 | +$22.23 | −$2.77 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $25.00 | −$6.99 | −$31.99 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $6.99 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% | $55.66 | −$1.33 |
| 50% | $57.11 | +$0.12 |
| 75% | $58.55 | +$1.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 48%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #34 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $60.00 against $6.99 raw: a $53.01 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.22) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Shaquille O'Neal #34 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #34 breaks even when it gems about 48% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $54.22).
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