Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2003 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 46× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $75.90 against $1.64 raw: a $74.26 spread, 46× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.78) 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)
- $1.64
- PSA 10
- $75.90
- PSA 9
- $22.78
- Gem premium
- 46×
- 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 | $75.90 | +$49.26 | +$24.26 | −$75.74 |
| PSA 9 | $22.78 | −$3.86 | −$28.86 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $14.00 | −$12.64 | −$37.64 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.64 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% | $36.06 | −$15.58 |
| 50% | $49.34 | −$2.30 |
| 75% | $62.62 | +$10.98 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $99.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $75.90 | −$23.10 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $46.00 | −$53.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $46.00 | −$53.00 | 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 #34 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $75.90 against $1.64 raw: a $74.26 spread, 46× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.78) 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 #34 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 (Basketball Cards 2003 Topps) sells for about $75.90 versus $1.64 for a raw near-mint copy — a 46× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #34?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $99.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $75.90. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #34 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 #34 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #34 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.78).
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