Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 UD3 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 162× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $526 against $3.25 raw: a $523 spread, 162× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.09) 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)
- $3.25
- PSA 10
- $526
- PSA 9
- $25.09
- Gem premium
- 162×
- 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 | $526 | +$498 | +$473 | +$373 |
| PSA 9 | $25.09 | −$3.16 | −$28.16 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$3.26 | −$28.26 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $3.25 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% | $150 | +$97.04 |
| 50% | $275 | +$222 |
| 75% | $401 | +$347 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $684 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $526 | −$158 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $316 | −$368 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $316 | −$368 | 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 Shaquille O'Neal #34 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $526 against $3.25 raw: a $523 spread, 162× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.09) 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 Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 (Basketball Cards 1996 UD3) sells for about $526 versus $3.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 162× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #34?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $684, ahead of PSA 10 at $526. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #34 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 Shaquille O'Neal #34 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #34 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.09).
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