Is Shaquille O'Neal #21 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #21 sells for $725 against $29.00 raw: a $696 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96.87) 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)
- $29.00
- PSA 10
- $725
- PSA 9
- $96.87
- Gem premium
- 25×
- As of
- Nov 8, 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 | $725 | +$671 | +$646 | +$546 |
| PSA 9 | $96.87 | +$42.87 | +$17.87 | −$82.13 |
| PSA 8 | $72.81 | +$18.81 | −$6.19 | −$106 |
Net = sale price − $29.00 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% | $254 | +$175 |
| 50% | $411 | +$332 |
| 75% | $568 | +$489 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $943 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $725 | −$218 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $435 | −$508 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $290 | −$653 | 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 →
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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal #21 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #21 sells for $725 against $29.00 raw: a $696 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96.87) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #21 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $725 versus $29.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Nov 8, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $943, ahead of PSA 10 at $725. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #21 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.
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