Is Shaquille O'Neal #27 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Ovation · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 25× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #27 sells for $61.57 against $2.49 raw: a $59.08 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
- $2.49
- PSA 10
- $61.57
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $61.57 | +$34.08 | +$9.08 | −$90.92 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$7.50 | −$32.50 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $19.95 | −$7.54 | −$32.54 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $2.49 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% | $30.38 | −$22.11 |
| 50% | $40.78 | −$11.71 |
| 75% | $51.18 | −$1.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 78%. 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 | $80.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.57 | −$18.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$43.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$43.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Upper Deck Ovation cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Shaquille O'Neal #27 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #27 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #27 sells for $61.57 against $2.49 raw: a $59.08 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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 #27 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #27 (Basketball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Ovation) sells for about $61.57 versus $2.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #27?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $80.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #27 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 #27 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #27 breaks even when it gems about 78% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.99).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
