Is Shaquille O'Neal #M2 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1993 Ultra · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 57× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #M2 sells for $125 against $2.20 raw: a $123 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.36) 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)
- $2.20
- PSA 10
- $125
- PSA 9
- $14.36
- Gem premium
- 57×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $125 | +$97.80 | +$72.80 | −$27.20 |
| PSA 9 | $14.36 | −$12.84 | −$37.84 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $10.72 | −$16.48 | −$41.48 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $2.20 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% | $42.02 | −$10.18 |
| 50% | $69.68 | +$17.48 |
| 75% | $97.34 | +$45.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 | $163 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $125 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $75.00 | −$88.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $75.00 | −$88.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $125 | $75.00 | $163 | $75.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.91 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.36 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.72 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #M2 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #M2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #M2 sells for $125 against $2.20 raw: a $123 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.36) 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 #M2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #M2 (Basketball Cards 1993 Ultra) sells for about $125 versus $2.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 57× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #M2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $163, ahead of PSA 10 at $125. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #M2 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 #M2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #M2 breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.36).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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