Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #3 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Finest Oversized · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #3 sells for $140 against $24.85 raw: a $115 spread, 5.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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)
- $24.85
- Grade 9.5
- $140
- PSA 9
- $128
- Gem premium
- 5.6×
- 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 | $140 | +$90.15 | +$65.15 | −$34.85 |
| PSA 9 | $128 | +$77.65 | +$52.65 | −$47.35 |
| PSA 8 | $80.00 | +$30.15 | +$5.15 | −$94.85 |
Net = sale price − $24.85 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% | $131 | +$55.78 |
| 50% | $134 | +$58.90 |
| 75% | $137 | +$62.03 |
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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Other 1998 Finest Oversized cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Kobe Bryant [Refractor] #10 1998 Finest Oversized card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pKcAAOSw0~JiDCVA/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #3 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #3 sells for $140 against $24.85 raw: a $115 spread, 5.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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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