Is Shaquille O'Neal #A5 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Apparitions · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #A5 sells for $174 against $29.99 raw: a $144 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($105) 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)
- $29.99
- PSA 10
- $174
- PSA 9
- $105
- Gem premium
- 5.8×
- 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 | $174 | +$119 | +$93.65 | −$6.35 |
| PSA 9 | $105 | +$49.93 | +$24.93 | −$75.07 |
| PSA 8 | $15.00 | −$39.99 | −$64.99 | −$165 |
Net = sale price − $29.99 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% | $122 | +$42.11 |
| 50% | $139 | +$59.29 |
| 75% | $156 | +$76.47 |
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 | $226 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $174 | −$52.36 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $104 | −$122 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $104 | −$122 | 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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Other 1998 Topps Apparitions cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Shaquille O'Neal #A5 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #A5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #A5 sells for $174 against $29.99 raw: a $144 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($105) 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 #A5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #A5 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Apparitions) sells for about $174 versus $29.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #A5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $226, ahead of PSA 10 at $174. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #A5 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.
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