Is Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Century Legends Generations · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain sells for $124 against $4.01 raw: a $120 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.59) 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)
- $4.01
- PSA 10
- $124
- PSA 9
- $26.59
- Gem premium
- 31×
- 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 | $124 | +$95.08 | +$70.08 | −$29.92 |
| PSA 9 | $26.59 | −$2.42 | −$27.42 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $13.24 | −$15.77 | −$40.77 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $4.01 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% | $50.97 | −$3.04 |
| 50% | $75.34 | +$21.33 |
| 75% | $99.71 | +$45.70 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $161 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $124 | −$36.91 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $74.00 | −$87.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $74.00 | −$87.00 | 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.
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Grading Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain sells for $124 against $4.01 raw: a $120 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.59) 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 / Wilt Chamberlain worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain (Basketball Cards 1998 Upper Deck Century Legends Generations) sells for about $124 versus $4.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $161, ahead of PSA 10 at $124. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain 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 / Wilt Chamberlain break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal / Wilt Chamberlain breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.59).
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