Is Shaquille O'Neal #143 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 24× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #143 sells for $212 against $8.82 raw: a $203 spread, 24× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.75) 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)
- $8.82
- PSA 10
- $212
- PSA 9
- $31.75
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $212 | +$178 | +$153 | +$52.71 |
| PSA 9 | $31.75 | −$2.07 | −$27.07 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $21.22 | −$12.60 | −$37.60 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $8.82 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% | $76.69 | +$17.88 |
| 50% | $122 | +$62.82 |
| 75% | $167 | +$108 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $275 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $212 | −$63.47 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $127 | −$148 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $127 | −$148 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #143 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #143 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #143 sells for $212 against $8.82 raw: a $203 spread, 24× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.75) 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 #143 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #143 (Basketball Cards 1996 Fleer Metal) sells for about $212 versus $8.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 24× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #143?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $275, ahead of PSA 10 at $212. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #143 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 #143 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #143 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.75).
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