Is Hakeem Olajuwon [500 Volts] #19 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Hoops High Voltage · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Hakeem Olajuwon [500 Volts] #19 sells for $4,598 against $475 raw: a $4,123 spread, 9.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,180) 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)
- $475
- Grade 9.5
- $4,598
- PSA 9
- $4,180
- Gem premium
- 9.7×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $4,598 | +$4,098 | +$4,073 | +$3,973 |
| PSA 9 | $4,180 | +$3,680 | +$3,655 | +$3,555 |
| PSA 8 | $925 | +$425 | +$400 | +$300 |
Net = sale price − $475 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% | $4,285 | +$3,760 |
| 50% | $4,389 | +$3,864 |
| 75% | $4,494 | +$3,969 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Hakeem Olajuwon [500 Volts] #19 — FAQ
Is Hakeem Olajuwon [500 Volts] #19 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Hakeem Olajuwon [500 Volts] #19 sells for $4,598 against $475 raw: a $4,123 spread, 9.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,180) 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.
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