Is Shaquille O'Neal #1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2005 Topps First Row · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #1 sells for $82.89 against $4.99 raw: a $77.90 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.41) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $4.99
- PSA 10
- $82.89
- PSA 9
- $21.41
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $82.89 | +$52.90 | +$27.90 | −$72.10 |
| PSA 9 | $21.41 | −$8.58 | −$33.58 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $11.67 | −$18.32 | −$43.32 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $4.99 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% | $36.78 | −$18.21 |
| 50% | $52.15 | −$2.84 |
| 75% | $67.52 | +$12.53 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 55%. 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 | $108 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $82.89 | −$25.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$58.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$58.00 | 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.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #1 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #1 sells for $82.89 against $4.99 raw: a $77.90 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.41) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #1 (Basketball Cards 2005 Topps First Row) sells for about $82.89 versus $4.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $108, ahead of PSA 10 at $82.89. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #1 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 Shaquille O'Neal #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #1 breaks even when it gems about 55% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.41).
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