Is Shaquille O'Neal #40 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Ultra · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #40 sells for $61.05 against $1.60 raw: a $59.45 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.00) 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)
- $1.60
- PSA 10
- $61.05
- PSA 9
- $13.00
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $61.05 | +$34.45 | +$9.45 | −$90.55 |
| PSA 9 | $13.00 | −$13.60 | −$38.60 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $4.25 | −$22.35 | −$47.35 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.60 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% | $25.01 | −$26.59 |
| 50% | $37.02 | −$14.58 |
| 75% | $49.04 | −$2.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 80%. 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 | $79.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.05 | −$17.95 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Ultra cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Shaquille O'Neal #40 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #40 sells for $61.05 against $1.60 raw: a $59.45 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.00) 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 #40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #40 (Basketball Cards 1999 Ultra) sells for about $61.05 versus $1.60 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $79.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.05. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #40 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 #40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #40 breaks even when it gems about 80% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.00).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
