Is Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Gold Label · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 sells for $112 against $5.51 raw: a $107 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.32) 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)
- $5.51
- PSA 10
- $112
- PSA 9
- $27.32
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $112 | +$81.88 | +$56.88 | −$43.12 |
| PSA 9 | $27.32 | −$3.19 | −$28.19 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $16.67 | −$13.84 | −$38.84 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $5.51 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% | $48.59 | −$6.92 |
| 50% | $69.86 | +$14.34 |
| 75% | $91.12 | +$35.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 33%. 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 | $146 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $112 | −$33.61 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $67.00 | −$79.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $67.00 | −$79.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $112 | $67.00 | $146 | $67.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $50.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $27.32 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.67 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $0.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Topps Gold Label cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Michael Jordan [Black Label] #GL1 1998 Topps Gold Label card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1voAAeSwizZqU622/s-l500.jpg)
![Kobe Bryant [Black Label] #GL3 1998 Topps Gold Label card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2RgAAeSwi7NqH4EW/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 — FAQ
Is Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 sells for $112 against $5.51 raw: a $107 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.32) 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 #GL2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 (Basketball Cards 1998 Topps Gold Label) sells for about $112 versus $5.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shaquille O'Neal #GL2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $146, ahead of PSA 10 at $112. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 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 #GL2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shaquille O'Neal #GL2 breaks even when it gems about 33% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.32).
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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