Is Hakeem Olajuwon #2 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome Season's Best · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 25× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 sells for $313 against $12.75 raw: a $300 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.00) 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)
- $12.75
- PSA 10
- $313
- PSA 9
- $35.00
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $313 | +$275 | +$250 | +$150 |
| PSA 9 | $35.00 | −$2.75 | −$27.75 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $23.00 | −$14.75 | −$39.75 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $12.75 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% | $104 | +$41.64 |
| 50% | $174 | +$111 |
| 75% | $243 | +$180 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $406 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $313 | −$93.42 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $188 | −$218 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $188 | −$218 | 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 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 — FAQ
Is Hakeem Olajuwon #2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 sells for $313 against $12.75 raw: a $300 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.00) 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 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $313 versus $12.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hakeem Olajuwon #2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $406, ahead of PSA 10 at $313. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hakeem Olajuwon #2 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 Hakeem Olajuwon #2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hakeem Olajuwon #2 breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.00).
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