Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 sells for $150 against $23.99 raw: a $126 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($95.07) 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)
- $23.99
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $95.07
- Gem premium
- 6.3×
- 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 | $150 | +$101 | +$76.01 | −$23.99 |
| PSA 9 | $95.07 | +$46.08 | +$21.08 | −$78.92 |
| PSA 8 | $31.67 | −$17.32 | −$42.32 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $23.99 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% | $109 | +$34.81 |
| 50% | $123 | +$48.55 |
| 75% | $136 | +$62.28 |
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 | $195 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $150 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 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 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 cards worth checking
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![Hakeem Olajuwon [Refractor] #T38 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sFwAAOSwZthhIFGU/s-l500.jpg)
![Reggie Miller [Refractor] #T8 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VtcAAeSwnahptdkZ/s-l500.jpg)
![Dennis Rodman [Refractor] #T34 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EaoAAeSwWXtqgglw/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 sells for $150 against $23.99 raw: a $126 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($95.07) 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] #T30 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 (Basketball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome Topps 40) sells for about $150 versus $23.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.3× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $195, ahead of PSA 10 at $150. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal [Refractor] #T30 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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