Is Shaquille O'Neal worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Skybox Premium 3D's · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal sells for $985 against $350 raw: a $635 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($895) 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)
- $350
- Grade 9.5
- $985
- PSA 9
- $895
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- 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 | $985 | +$610 | +$585 | +$485 |
| PSA 9 | $895 | +$520 | +$495 | +$395 |
| PSA 8 | $497 | +$122 | +$97.14 | −$2.86 |
Net = sale price − $350 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% | $918 | +$518 |
| 50% | $940 | +$540 |
| 75% | $963 | +$563 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal sells for $985 against $350 raw: a $635 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($895) 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.
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