![Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1fAAAeSwrhlo4ocI/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #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 [Refractor] #21 sells for $320 against $40.50 raw: a $280 spread, 7.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($107) 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)
- $40.50
- PSA 10
- $320
- PSA 9
- $107
- Gem premium
- 7.9×
- 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 | $320 | +$255 | +$230 | +$130 |
| PSA 9 | $107 | +$41.00 | +$16.00 | −$84.00 |
| PSA 8 | $52.02 | −$13.48 | −$38.48 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $40.50 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% | $160 | +$69.38 |
| 50% | $213 | +$123 |
| 75% | $267 | +$176 |
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 | $416 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $320 | −$96.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $192 | −$224 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $192 | −$224 | 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 | $320 | $192 | $416 | $192 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $117 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $107 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $52.02 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $34.65 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
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![Reggie Miller [Refractor] #9 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/b7QAAeSwWEBqY-LN/s-l500.jpg)
![Allen Iverson [Refractor] #26 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Y8MAAeSwzoRpFPid/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21 sells for $320 against $40.50 raw: a $280 spread, 7.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($107) 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 [Refractor] #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Season's Best) sells for about $320 versus $40.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.9× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $416, ahead of PSA 10 at $320. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #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.
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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