Is Shaquille O'Neal #34 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Skybox Z Force · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #34 sells for $81.68 against $1.99 raw: a $79.69 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $81.68
- PSA 9
- $17.00
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $81.68 | +$54.69 | +$29.69 | −$70.31 |
| PSA 9 | $17.00 | −$9.99 | −$34.99 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $15.00 | −$11.99 | −$36.99 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $33.17 | −$18.82 |
| 50% | $49.34 | −$2.65 |
| 75% | $65.51 | +$13.52 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $106 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $81.68 | −$24.32 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $49.00 | −$57.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $81.68 | $49.00 | $106 | $49.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $19.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Skybox Z Force cards worth checking
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![Tim Duncan [Rave] #111 1997 Skybox Z Force card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BdQAAeSwQW9p8~W-/s-l500.jpg)
![Michael Jordan [Rave] #190 1997 Skybox Z Force card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RqkAAeSweXxqbDAn/s-l500.jpg)
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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 $81.68 against $1.99 raw: a $79.69 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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 1997 Skybox Z Force) sells for about $81.68 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #34?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $106, ahead of PSA 10 at $81.68. 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 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.00).
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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