Is Shaquille O'Neal #3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Metal Universe Championship Hardware · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal #3 sells for $12,100 against $481 raw: a $11,619 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($11,000) 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)
- $481
- Grade 9.5
- $12,100
- PSA 9
- $11,000
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $12,100 | +$11,594 | +$11,569 | +$11,469 |
| PSA 9 | $11,000 | +$10,494 | +$10,469 | +$10,369 |
| PSA 8 | $10,000 | +$9,494 | +$9,469 | +$9,369 |
Net = sale price − $481 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% | $11,275 | +$10,744 |
| 50% | $11,550 | +$11,019 |
| 75% | $11,825 | +$11,294 |
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 Shaquille O'Neal #3 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal #3 sells for $12,100 against $481 raw: a $11,619 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($11,000) 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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