Is Shaquille O'Neal #3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Skybox Premium Thunder & Lightning · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #3 sells for $27,141 against $1,059 raw: a $26,082 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,382) 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)
- $1,059
- PSA 10
- $27,141
- PSA 9
- $2,382
- Gem premium
- 26×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $27,141 | +$26,057 | +$26,032 | +$25,932 |
| PSA 9 | $2,382 | +$1,298 | +$1,273 | +$1,173 |
| PSA 8 | $1,955 | +$871 | +$846 | +$746 |
Net = sale price − $1,059 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% | $8,572 | +$7,463 |
| 50% | $14,761 | +$13,652 |
| 75% | $20,951 | +$19,842 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $35,283 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $27,141 | −$8,142 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $16,285 | −$18,998 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $16,285 | −$18,998 | 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 | $27,141 | $16,285 | $35,283 | $16,285 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $7,462 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $2,382 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $1,955 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $1,051 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #3 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #3 sells for $27,141 against $1,059 raw: a $26,082 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,382) 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 #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #3 (Basketball Cards 1997 Skybox Premium Thunder & Lightning) sells for about $27,141 versus $1,059 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $35,283, ahead of PSA 10 at $27,141. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #3 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.
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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