Is Shaquille O'Neal #280 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1994 Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #280 sells for $94.48 against $3.15 raw: a $91.33 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $3.15
- PSA 10
- $94.48
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $94.48 | +$66.33 | +$41.33 | −$58.67 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$3.16 | −$28.16 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $20.24 | −$7.91 | −$32.91 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $3.15 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% | $42.36 | −$10.79 |
| 50% | $59.73 | +$6.59 |
| 75% | $77.11 | +$23.96 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $123 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $94.48 | −$28.52 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$66.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$66.00 | 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 | $94.48 | $57.00 | $123 | $57.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $53.21 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $20.24 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.69 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1994 Finest cards worth checking
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #280 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #280 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #280 sells for $94.48 against $3.15 raw: a $91.33 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 #280 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #280 (Basketball Cards 1994 Finest) sells for about $94.48 versus $3.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #280?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $123, ahead of PSA 10 at $94.48. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #280 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 #280 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #280 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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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