Is Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2002 Stadium Club Beam Team · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 sells for $800 against $285 raw: a $515 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($400) 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)
- $285
- CGC 10
- $800
- PSA 9
- $400
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — CGC 10 | $800 | +$490 | +$465 | +$365 |
| PSA 9 | $400 | +$90.00 | +$65.00 | −$35.00 |
Net = sale price − $285 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% | $500 | +$165 |
| 50% | $600 | +$265 |
| 75% | $700 | +$365 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $800 | best | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | CGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $800 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $440 |
| 9 | — | $400 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Full set checklist →
Grading Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 worth grading?
A CGC 10 Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 sells for $800 against $285 raw: a $515 spread, 2.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($400) 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.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #BT1 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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.
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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