Is Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Season's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 sells for $167 against $6.44 raw: a $161 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.50) 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)
- $6.44
- PSA 10
- $167
- PSA 9
- $32.50
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $167 | +$136 | +$111 | +$10.50 |
| PSA 9 | $32.50 | +$1.06 | −$23.94 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $12.60 | −$18.84 | −$43.84 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $6.44 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% | $66.11 | +$9.67 |
| 50% | $99.72 | +$43.28 |
| 75% | $133 | +$76.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 18%. 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 | $217 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $167 | −$50.06 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $100 | −$117 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $100 | −$117 | 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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Other 1999 Topps Season's Best cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 sells for $167 against $6.44 raw: a $161 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.50) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 (Basketball Cards 1999 Topps Season's Best) sells for about $167 versus $6.44 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #SB2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $217, ahead of PSA 10 at $167. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 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 #SB2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #SB2 breaks even when it gems about 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.50).
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