Is Hakeem Olajuwon #19 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Spx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #19 sells for $90.77 against $2.21 raw: a $88.56 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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)
- $2.21
- PSA 10
- $90.77
- PSA 9
- $25.00
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $90.77 | +$63.56 | +$38.56 | −$61.44 |
| PSA 9 | $25.00 | −$2.21 | −$27.21 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $22.75 | −$4.46 | −$29.46 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $2.21 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% | $41.44 | −$10.77 |
| 50% | $57.88 | +$5.67 |
| 75% | $74.33 | +$22.12 |
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 | $118 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $90.77 | −$27.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$64.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$64.00 | 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.
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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Hakeem Olajuwon #19 — FAQ
Is Hakeem Olajuwon #19 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #19 sells for $90.77 against $2.21 raw: a $88.56 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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 Hakeem Olajuwon #19 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #19 (Basketball Cards 1996 Spx) sells for about $90.77 versus $2.21 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hakeem Olajuwon #19?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $118, ahead of PSA 10 at $90.77. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hakeem Olajuwon #19 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 Hakeem Olajuwon #19 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hakeem Olajuwon #19 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.00).
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