Is Hakeem Olajuwon #24 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Season's Best · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 21× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #24 sells for $67.60 against $3.24 raw: a $64.36 spread, 21× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.82) 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)
- $3.24
- PSA 10
- $67.60
- PSA 9
- $10.82
- Gem premium
- 21×
- 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 | $67.60 | +$39.36 | +$14.36 | −$85.64 |
| PSA 9 | $10.82 | −$17.42 | −$42.42 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $2.80 | −$25.44 | −$50.44 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $3.24 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% | $25.02 | −$28.23 |
| 50% | $39.21 | −$14.03 |
| 75% | $53.40 | +$0.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 75%. 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 | $88.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $67.60 | −$20.40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 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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Grading Hakeem Olajuwon #24 — FAQ
Is Hakeem Olajuwon #24 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #24 sells for $67.60 against $3.24 raw: a $64.36 spread, 21× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.82) 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 #24 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hakeem Olajuwon #24 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Season's Best) sells for about $67.60 versus $3.24 for a raw near-mint copy — a 21× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hakeem Olajuwon #24?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $88.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $67.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hakeem Olajuwon #24 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 #24 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hakeem Olajuwon #24 breaks even when it gems about 75% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.82).
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