Hockey Card Market Report — Week of October 12, 2026

Hockey card prices were broadly unchanged this week: the median 7-day change is 0.0% and no cards in our 4,617-card breadth pool are up over 7 days, with two cards flat over 7 days and zero down. The top-100 value index was also unchanged over 7 days, with a 7-day change of 0.0% and a 30-day change of -1.8%. The market remains large in scope: there are 125,858 priced cards across 3,488 sets, with a total raw value of $3,033,594 and a median card price of $1.87. High-end inventory is concentrated but present, with 228 cards worth $1,000 or more. The top-100 basket total raw value stands at $858 and the basket size used for the 7-day calculation was 2 and for the 30-day calculation was 5. Collectors should note these stability signals (flat median movement and a near-zero 7-day index change) when setting short-term expectations for listings and buys.

Over the 30-day window we do see a clear standout gainer and a clear decliner to call out by name. Bobby Orr #200 from 1968 O-Pee-Chee rose 52.1% to a raw price of $59.25 from $38.95 thirty days earlier, with 25 sales in the period. On the other side, Wayne Gretzky #18 from 1979 Topps is down -5.3% to a raw price of $645.85 from $682.11 thirty days ago, with 272 sales. No cards met our mover criteria for the 7-day top gainers or top losers lists. For collectors chasing short-term movement, Bobby Orr #200 is the single largest 30-day gainer by percentage in our tracked pool, while Wayne Gretzky #18 is the largest 30-day decliner by percentage. Keep the mover rules in mind: we only include cards priced at $5 or more with at least 3 price points and cap outlier changes above 300% as unreliable.

The most valuable raw cards in the market remain at very high price points. Rocket Richard #37 from 1955 Parkhurst Quaker Oats is listed at $500,000 raw. Connor Bedard [Shield Ultimate Rookies Autograph] #101 from 2023 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection shows a raw price of $55,671.96. Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Red Shield] #DRPT-CS from 2024 Upper Deck Premier Dual Rookie Patch-Tacular Relic is at $27,145 raw. For graders and sellers thinking about submitting to PSA, there are 15,338 cards with both raw and PSA 10 prices, and the median PSA 10 price divided by raw price is 8.7; use that ratio alongside an assumed grading fee of $25 when assessing whether a grade might change the marketability of a specific card. If you hold any of the named high-dollar pieces or the 228 cards above $1,000 raw, consider the relative stability of the 7-day measures and the 30-day index direction when deciding timing for listings or consignments.

For practical decisions: if you hold many low‑priced cards — the 30,295 under $1 or the 63,678 in $1–$5 — expect median price inertness; those tiers show 0.0% median 30‑day change and are where most of the catalog volume sits. If you are chasing median upside opportunities, the $20–$100 tier’s 26.1% median rise across 9,649 cards is the most pronounced movement in the market and deserves targeted review to see which specific cards are contributing to that gain. Sellers of cards in the $100–$1,000 tier should be mindful of the -2.7% median 30‑day change when setting ask prices or timing listings. For grading decisions, note the market has 33,538 cards with PSA 10 populations and a grading fee assumption of $25; given the broader flatness and a -1.8% top‑100 month, grading a card in hope of capturing top‑end index strength should be balanced against the modest top‑end pullback and the cost of $25. Collectors and sellers who prioritize breadth over the index will see stability across thousands of low‑priced and mid‑priced cards, while those focused on the most valuable items should account for the -1.8% 30‑day movement in the top‑100 value index and the small basket sizes driving that change.

Collectors who follow the highest rungs of the hockey card market will see an unusual mix of eras at the top of the raw-value leaderboard. The single most valuable raw card is Rocket Richard #37 from the 1955 Parkhurst Quaker Oats set at $500,000. That lone mid-century Parkhurst sits well above a group dominated by modern premium Upper Deck releases: Connor Bedard [Shield Ultimate Rookies Autograph] #101 from 2023 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection is priced raw at $55,671.96, and Connor Bedard [Rookie Patch Auto] #150 from 2023 Upper Deck The Cup sits raw at $19,073.77 with a listed PSA 10 price of $72,962.28. The modern Upper Deck presence continues through multiple high-end lines: Connor McDavid #97 from the 2015 Upper Deck the Cup Exquisite Collection Rookie Autograph Patch is at $20,039.97 raw; Connor McDavid [Autograph] #226 from 2015 SP Authentic shows a raw price of $5,058.86 and a PSA 10 price of $14,535.72; and a number of 2023–2025 Upper Deck and O-Pee-Chee Platinum issues for top prospects and rookies appear across the list, such as Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Red Shield] #DRPT-CS from 2024 Upper Deck Premier Dual Rookie Patch-Tacular Relic at $27,145 raw, Macklin Celebrini [Outburst Gold] #136 from 2025 Upper Deck at $13,314.73 raw, and Ivan Demidov [High Gloss] #205 from 2025 Upper Deck at $10,077.19 raw with a PSA 10 price of $22,254.05. Vintage and near-vintage autographs and patches also make notable showings: Alexander Ovechkin [Autographed Patch Limited] #190 from 2005 SP Authentic is $7,824.14 raw and Alexander Ovechkin [Autograph] #190 from the same set has a PSA 10 price of $12,372.82 and a raw price of $5,374.73, while several Sidney Crosby items from 2005 Upper Deck Ice and 2005 SP Authentic and 2005 Ultimate Collection appear at $14,831.80 raw for Sidney Crosby #106 (2005 Upper Deck Ice), $4,682.32 raw for Sidney Crosby [Autograph] #181 with a PSA 10 price of $12,500 (2005 SP Authentic), and $5,337.73 raw for Sidney Crosby [Autograph] #91 (2005 Ultimate Collection).

Collectors and sellers watching which hockey cards trade most often should focus first on raw-market liquidity: the list of most-traded ungraded near-mint cards shows consistent buyers and repeat turnover across a wide span of eras and prices. At the top of the list is Ivan Demidov #205 from 2025 Upper Deck, trading at $96.71 with sales volume of 1,259, followed by Matthew Schaefer #451 from 2025 Upper Deck Series 2 at $170.75 with sales volume of 1,061. Recent-era rookies show the highest counts, but older classics also appear: Lane Hutson #229 from 2024 Upper Deck trades at $91.02 with sales volume of 702, while Mario Lemieux #9 appears in two entries — 1985 Topps at $143.92 with sales volume of 437 and 1985 O-Pee-Chee at $247.82 with sales volume of 335. Wayne Gretzky cards from 1980 O-Pee-Chee at $73.46 trade 370 times, and Wayne Gretzky #18 from 1979 Topps trades 272 times at $645.85 with a 30-day change of down 5.3%. The 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18 records a raw price of $899.30 with sales volume of 212. These examples show high turnover across price points from $2.12 to $899.30, giving buyers and sellers multiple liquid reference points when assessing activity for both modern rookies and vintage stars.

Knowing which cards have higher sales volume matters because liquid cards provide a more reliable read of price levels than thinly traded ones. Cards with the largest sales volumes—such as Ivan Demidov #205, Matthew Schaefer #451 and Lane Hutson #229—generate repeated negotiated transactions at the listed raw prices ($96.71, $170.75 and $91.02 respectively) and therefore reduce the noise from outlier listings. Vintage staples that still trade frequently, such as Mario Lemieux #9 (1985 Topps and 1985 O-Pee-Chee), Wayne Gretzky #18 (1979 Topps and 1979 O-Pee-Chee) and Wayne Gretzky from 1980 O-Pee-Chee, add cross-era liquidity that helps validate market levels. By contrast, lower-volume cards further down the list—examples include Denis Potvin #195 from 1974 O-Pee-Chee trading at $24 with sales volume of 70 and Lanny McDonald #168 from 1974 O-Pee-Chee trading at $20.06 with sales volume of 65—offer fewer price points and therefore produce a weaker signal about where a fair market value sits. If you hold a card with many recent sales at consistent prices, that consistency is an actionable indicator of current market interest; if you hold a card with sporadic sales counts, matching your timing to the moments when similar liquid cards are actively trading is a safer approach.

For sellers deciding whether to list raw or grade, liquidity and the grading-fee assumption matter. The report’s grading-fee assumption is $25; collectors chasing a grade should weigh that cost against the trading patterns shown here. Cards with high raw sales volume offer clearer evidence of buyer demand at the ungraded price, for example Ivan Demidov #205 at $96.71 with 1,259 sales or Matthew Schaefer #451 at $170.75 with 1,061 sales. Those repeated raw transactions create an observable market that may make a seller more comfortable listing ungraded or sending a select sample for grading. By contrast, cards with lower sales volume—even if their raw prices seem attractive—carry more uncertainty about whether a graded premium will reliably materialize in the near term because there are fewer recent transactions to benchmark. Vintage items with sustained turnover, like Mario Lemieux #9 from 1985 O-Pee-Chee at $247.82 with 335 sales and Wayne Gretzky #18 from 1979 O-Pee-Chee at $899.30 with 212 sales, provide more data points where the incremental $25 grading fee can be evaluated against observable market behavior.

For buyers and collectors building a watchlist, prioritize cards with repeated sales counts because they let you see price movement and short-term trends. The list includes affordable liquid options such as Ray Bourque #140 from 1980 O-Pee-Chee at $32.91 with sales volume of 374, Paul Coffey #111 from 1981 O-Pee-Chee at $22.78 with sales volume of 278, and Macklin Celebrini #E-8 from 2024 Upper Deck Encore at $11.28 with sales volume of 151, each giving multiple entry points for trading. Mid-priced liquid names—Ken Dryden #45 from 1971 O-Pee-Chee at $98.98 with sales volume of 73 and Bobby Orr #100 from 1971 O-Pee-Chee at $46.33 with sales volume of 85—offer additional comparables. Watch the cards that register measurable 30-day moves: Wayne Gretzky #18 from 1979 Topps is down 5.3% over 30 days at $645.85, while Wayne Gretzky [Record Breaker] #3 from 1980 Topps has a 30-day change of 0% at $12.48 with sales volume of 95. Use these liquid reference points when deciding to buy, list, or grade: frequent sales reduce uncertainty, and cards with thin trade histories are inherently harder to price with confidence.

Top-line ranking by total raw value is dominated by a single vintage Parkhurst issue and then a long tail of modern Upper Deck products. At the top is 1955 Parkhurst Quaker Oats with total raw value of $506,665 and a top raw card price of $500,000 for Rocket Richard #37; its median card price sits at $49.97. The next-highest set by total raw value is 2024 Upper Deck at $123,675, led by Jakub Dobes [Outburst Gold] #726 with a top raw price of $56,501.17 and a median card price of $3.82. Rounding out the highest-value groups are 2023 Upper Deck with total raw value $60,816 (top card Connor Bedard [Outburst Red] #451 at $11,362, median $2.98), 2024 Upper Deck Outburst Retro Young Gun with total raw value $60,400 (top card Connor McDavid [Gold] #OR-3 at $57,230.28, median $73.52), and 2023 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection with total raw value $56,013 (top card Connor Bedard [Shield Ultimate Rookies Autograph] #101 at $55,671.96, median $3.48). Those five sets occupy clear positions above the rest on the total-raw-value ranking, and they illustrate two distinct market profiles: a vintage single-star outlier and several modern releases with high single-card ceilings.

After the top five, sets fall into progressively smaller total-raw buckets while showing widely varying median card prices and differing concentrations of high-value cards. 2025 Upper Deck totals $48,417 with Macklin Celebrini [Outburst Gold] #136 at $13,314.73 and a median card price of $4.02. 2022 Upper Deck has a broad inventory of priced cards (1,904) but a total raw value of $31,446 and a median card price of $2.02, led by Juraj Slafkovsky [High Gloss] #451 at $2,586.56. 2005 Upper Deck Ice posts total raw value $30,449 with Sidney Crosby #106 at $14,831.8 and a median card price of $1.67. 2023 Upper Deck The Cup sits at $23,296 total raw with Connor Bedard [Rookie Patch Auto] #150 at $19,073.77 and a median of $37.98. These mid-tier totals show that a single high-ceiling rookie or autograph can lift a set’s headline value even when the median remains modest.

There is a distinct grouping of sets that trade relatively low total raw values but have high median card prices driven by scarce, high-end pieces. Examples include 2023 Upper Deck The Cup Limited Logos Auto Patch with total raw $13,463, top card Connor Bedard #LL-CB at $5,056.26 and a median card price of $197.27; the 2025 Upper Deck Extended Series Acetate Young Guns with total raw $11,744 and a median card price of $146.5 led by Beckett Sennecke #701 at $1,611.27; and 1933 V129 Anonymous with total raw $10,646 and a median card price of $127.75 led by Eddie Shore #37 at $7,999.99. Similarly, sets like 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Foundations Quad Jersey Autograph ($22,412 total, top Lane Hutson [Tag] #F-LH at $9,929.83, median $59.03) and 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Exquisite Collection Rookie Auto Patch ($22,086 total, top Macklin Celebrini #EC-MC at $10,798.36, median $42.00) demonstrate that a modest number of very strong cards can produce elevated medians despite smaller overall inventories.

When we compare median card prices across the full list, wide dispersion appears. Highest medians among the sets shown include 2023 Upper Deck The Cup Limited Logos Auto Patch at $197.27, 2025 Upper Deck Extended Series Acetate Young Guns at $146.5, 1933 V129 Anonymous at $127.75, 2024 Upper Deck Outburst Retro Young Gun at $73.52, 2024 Upper Deck The Cup and 2024 Upper Deck The Cup (different variants) both in the $60s and $40s range, and 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Foundations Quad Jersey Autograph at $59.03. By contrast, high-volume modern release sets such as 2024 Upper Deck (median $3.82 for 629 priced cards), 2023 Upper Deck (median $2.98 for 799 priced cards), 2022 Upper Deck (median $2.02 for 1,904 priced cards), and 2020 Upper Deck (median $1.42 for 644 priced cards) sit at the lower end of the median distribution. Collectors should read medians as reflections of where the middle of the market sits for each set rather than as indicators of absolute scarcity or long-term direction: a high median often signals fewer low-priced listings and a concentration of more valuable pieces, while a low median combined with a large priced-card count points to a broad, liquid base of lower-value items.

The leaders separate into two clear categories from the perspective of someone deciding whether to buy, sell or grade. The 1955 Parkhurst Quaker Oats set is a vintage, concentrated-value leader: its $506,665 total raw value is overwhelmingly dependent on Rocket Richard #37 at $500,000 while the set-wide median is $49.97. For a holder of a Rocket Richard #37, that concentration makes grading and sale strategy uniquely important; the grading fee assumption of $25 should be factored into that decision, particularly because a single grading outcome will materially affect feasibility at auction or private sale. By contrast, tags like 2024 Upper Deck and 2023 Upper Deck feature many more priced cards (629 and 799 respectively) and much lower medians ($3.82 and $2.98), so decisions for those sets tend to be managed on a per-card basis. If you hold a high-ceiling insert such as Jakub Dobes [Outburst Gold] #726 at $56,501.17 or Connor Bedard [Outburst Red] #451 at $11,362, grading is a different calculus than it is for $3–$5 base cards in the same product.

For sellers, the practical takeaway is to segment inventory by where value is concentrated. If your inventory includes single standout pieces—Rocket Richard #37 at $500,000, Connor McDavid [Gold] #OR-3 at $57,230.28, Jakub Dobes [Outburst Gold] #726 at $56,501.17, Connor Bedard [Shield Ultimate Rookies Autograph] #101 at $55,671.96, or Macklin Celebrini [Outburst Gold] #136 at $13,314.73—those cards will dominate realized proceeds for their respective sets and likely drive a different listing and promotion plan than the ten or hundred sub-$10 cards that make up the remainder of a set. For sets with higher medians but smaller inventories—such as 2023 Upper Deck The Cup Limited Logos Auto Patch (median $197.27) or 2025 Upper Deck Extended Series Acetate Young Guns (median $146.5)—sellers can expect fewer, higher-price touchpoints; marketing and grading decisions should prioritize proving authenticity and condition for the relatively scarce, high-priced population.

Buyers should treat large, modern-production sets with low medians as breadth plays where price discovery is frequent and competition among sellers keeps mid-level pricing accessible. Examples include 2022 Upper Deck (1,904 priced cards, median $2.02), 2024 Upper Deck (629 priced cards, median $3.82), and 2023 Upper Deck (799 priced cards, median $2.98). Conversely, shoppers seeking concentrated upside or low-lot scarcity will find better fits in vintage or premium-release groups: 1955 Parkhurst Quaker Oats (median $49.97 but with a $500,000 top), 2024 Upper Deck Outburst Retro Young Gun (median $73.52 with a $57,230.28 top), and various Cup Exquisite/Foundation releases where medians sit in the tens or hundreds of dollars. If you chase a single top card as a spec, note which sets have medians that are already elevated—those medians indicate that many individual cards within the set are trading in higher ranges, not just one headline piece.

On the question of which sets are strengthening or softening, explicit short-term price-change metrics are required to call movers reliably. Midpoint’s mover rules note that movers only include cards priced at $5 or more with at least three price points and that changes above 300% are excluded as unreliable; those criteria matter for interpreting short-term movement. The set-level values shown here (total raw value, priced-card counts, top-card raw prices, and medians) are useful for ranking and positioning, but they do not by themselves reveal 30-day directional change or volatility. For collectors who need to decide whether a set is currently strengthening or softening, the practical step is to watch the specific card-level activity that meets the mover rules—cards above $5 with multiple recent sale observations—and then aggregate those observed movers to a set-level view. Without those explicit change figures available in this breakdown, it is not possible to state which sets are up or down over a defined short-term period.

Finally, practical grading and selling guidance tied to the numbers here: treat high-ceiling single cards differently than broad low-median inventories. If you hold one of the marquee cards named above, the decision to grade should weigh the grading fee assumption of $25 against the card’s ceiling and the frequency of comparable graded sales in the marketplace; Rocket Richard #37 at $500,000, Connor McDavid [Gold] #OR-3 at $57,230.28, and Jakub Dobes [Outburst Gold] #726 at $56,501.17 are examples where a single successful grade could unlock materially different buyer pools. For mass lots of modern base cards from large-production releases with medians in the $1–$5 range, grading en masse is rarely justified based solely on raw market medians; those items often trade more efficiently raw. Use the set medians and the priced-card counts shown here to prioritize which cards to authenticate, photograph and promote, and reserve grading for the relatively small number of pieces whose top raw price or set position indicates outsized value potential.

The top of the player leaderboard by total raw value is led by Connor Bedard, whose priced cards sum to $207,965 across 454 priced cards; his top raw card is Connor Bedard [Shield Ultimate Rookies Autograph] #101 at $55,671.96. Sitting second is Newsy Lalonde with a total raw value of $181,108 coming from 12 priced cards, and that total is anchored by a single extremely high raw price: Newsy Lalonde #37 at $179,000. Connor McDavid ranks third with a total raw value of $166,014 spread across 672 priced cards; his top raw card is Connor McDavid [Gold] #OR-3 at $57,230.28, and his median 30-day change is 0.0%. These three entries show distinct inventory profiles that produce large totals: Bedard and McDavid reach their totals with hundreds of priced cards each, while Lalonde’s total is driven almost entirely by one raw card priced at $179,000. For collectors, sellers and graders, that structural distinction matters: the liquidity and diversification of hundreds of priced cards for Bedard and McDavid differ from the concentrated exposure represented by Lalonde’s 12 priced cards and single dominating raw value.

Below the top three, Macklin Celebrini sits fourth with a total raw value of $153,876 and 290 priced cards, and his top raw card is Macklin Celebrini [Outburst Gold] #136 at $13,314.73. The fifth slot is occupied by Jakub Dobes with a total raw value of $69,109 from 67 priced cards; his top raw is Jakub Dobes [Outburst Gold] #726 at $56,501.17. Sidney Crosby follows with a total raw value of $68,817 across 624 priced cards and a top raw card Sidney Crosby #106 at $14,831.80. Wayne Gretzky’s total raw value is $59,560 from 822 priced cards, with a top raw card Wayne Gretzky #UC-WG at $7,299.80; Gretzky’s median 30-day change is down 2.7%. This middle group juxtaposes modern high-visibility rookie names with long-career stars: Macklin Celebrini and Jakub Dobes show high top-raw prices within their inventories, while Crosby and Gretzky present deep inventories by count paired with top raw cards that sit below the highest top-raw prices seen among Bedard and McDavid.

The next ranks show a mix of established stars, contemporary standouts and multi-player entries. Alexander Ovechkin has a total raw value of $55,644 from 80 priced cards, with a top raw card Alexander Ovechkin #103 at $14,626.80. Ivan Demidov totals $38,083 from 121 priced cards and carries a top raw Ivan Demidov [High Gloss] #205 at $10,077.19. Alex Ovechkin appears separately with $35,932 in total raw value across 470 priced cards and a top raw Alex Ovechkin [Red] #OR-16 at $3,499.00. A dual-player listing, Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith, has $30,857 in total raw value from 14 priced cards and a top raw Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Red Shield] #DRPT-CS at $27,145. Lane Hutson’s total raw value is $30,458 from 174 priced cards with Lane Hutson [Tag] #F-LH at $9,929.83 as his top raw. For collectors deciding whether to list or hold, these entries illustrate that similar total raw values can arise from very different priced-card counts and top-card prices.

Further down, Auston Matthews shows $26,571 total raw value from 483 priced cards and a top raw Auston Matthews [Clear Cut] #201 at $2,925.00. Will Smith has $24,938 from 111 priced cards and a top raw Will Smith #EC-WS at $7,658.96. Kirill Kaprizov records $22,738 across 309 priced cards with Kirill Kaprizov [Clear Cut UD Exclusives] #451 at $6,056.29 as his top raw. Matthew Schaefer posts $22,358 in total raw value from 110 priced cards with Matthew Schaefer [10] #PC-37 at $2,539.80. Cale Makar is represented with $18,337 across 321 priced cards and a top raw Cale Makar [Speckled Rainbow Foil] #493 at $4,750.00. These entries show how total raw value can be achieved through mid-range top-raw cards paired with moderate to large priced-card counts, rather than a single extreme top-raw price. Collectors with holdings in this bracket should weigh the top-raw price relative to the priced-card count when assessing whether grading at the assumed $25 fee is justified.

The lower portion of the leaderboard continues to mix historic greats, recent prospects and specialty items. Juraj Slafkovsky totals $16,525 from 123 priced cards with Juraj Slafkovsky [Black] #FWAP-SL at $8,433.22 as top raw. Bobby Orr shows $13,794 total raw value from 158 priced cards with a top raw Bobby Orr #35 at $2,243.01 and a median 30-day change up 52.1%. Georges Vezina has $13,744 from 18 priced cards and a top raw Georges Vezina #38 at $4,845.94. Matvei Michkov is at $13,465 from 153 priced cards with Matvei Michkov [High Gloss] #492 at $3,484.56 as top raw. Cole Caufield posts $12,643 in total raw value from 286 priced cards and a top raw Cole Caufield #FWAP-CC at $1,272.67. These entries emphasize that significant median movement—Bobby Orr up 52.1%—can coexist with relatively modest top-raw prices in absolute terms, while other historic names like Georges Vezina derive a large share of their totals from a small number of higher-priced raw cards.

Finally, the bottom of this reported leaderboard includes Zach Benson at $12,473 total raw value from 106 priced cards with top raw Zach Benson [Outburst Gold] #474 at $10,969.40; Hobby Box at $12,328 from 37 priced cards and a top raw labeled Hobby Box at $1,964.68; Mario Lemieux at $11,937 across 356 priced cards with Mario Lemieux #MS-ML at $910.00; and others that round out the list. When contrasting established stars and newer names, this leaderboard shows three consistent patterns visible in the numbers: some players accumulate total raw value through very large priced-card inventories (for example, Connor McDavid 672 priced cards, Wayne Gretzky 822 priced cards, Sidney Crosby 624 priced cards); some players reach high totals through single or a few very large raw prices (Newsy Lalonde with a $179,000 top raw, Connor McDavid with $57,230.28 top raw, Connor Bedard with $55,671.96 top raw); and some players combine moderate priced-card counts with mid-range top-raw prices (for example, Macklin Celebrini 290 priced cards and $13,314.73 top raw, Ivan Demidov 121 priced cards and $10,077.19 top raw). For anyone holding cards on this leaderboard, consider whether your exposure is to a deep inventory or to a single high-value raw card when deciding whether to list, sell or grade, remembering the grading-fee assumption of $25 included in this report.

If you hold an ungraded hockey card and you're deciding whether to send it to PSA, the single summary number to start with is that the median PSA 10 price divided by the raw price is 8.7. Put plainly: the typical PSA 10 is worth 8.7 times what an ungraded near-mint copy is selling for. That multiple is the baseline premium collectors are paying today for the PSA 10 label across hockey cards that have both raw and PSA 10 prices. Keep that 8.7x figure in mind when you appraise the potential upside from grading; it is the market's central tendency for cards where both conditions exist.

How much of that PSA 10 value survives if a card grades PSA 9 instead? The median PSA 9 price is 35.0% of the PSA 10 price. In other words, half of PSA 9s trade at 35.0% or less of the corresponding PSA 10 price. For alternative grading services, a median CGC 10 trades at 60.0% of a PSA 10, while a median BGS 10 trades at 130.0% of a PSA 10. Those shares show the relative market standing of PSA 9, CGC 10 and BGS 10 compared with PSA 10 for the same cards; BGS 10 sits above PSA 10 on a median basis, CGC 10 sits below, and PSA 9 captures substantially less of PSA 10's value.

Collectors chasing the largest premiums for achieving a PSA 10 can target a clear group of legacy and superstar cards where the PSA 10 multiple over raw is extreme. At the top is Bob Nystrom #202 from 1973 O-Pee-Chee: a raw price of $17 versus a PSA 10 price of $1,009 yields a PSA 10 price divided by raw price of 59.4. Guy Lafleur #10 from 1980 O-Pee-Chee shows a raw price of $5.93 and a PSA 10 price of $350.58 (59.1x), and Gary Kurt #306 from 1972 O-Pee-Chee has a $20.53 raw price and a PSA 10 price of $1,187.11 (57.8x). Luc Robitaille #42 from 1987 O-Pee-Chee lists raw at $11.92 and PSA 10 at $686 (57.6x). These outsized multiples continue with Wayne Gretzky [Gold] #1 from 1992 Topps (raw $21.22, PSA 10 $1,222.50, 57.6x), Dino Ciccarelli [West] #105 from 1981 Topps (raw $7, PSA 10 $403.01, 57.6x), Joe Daley #152 from 1969 O-Pee-Chee (raw $7.01, PSA 10 $403.34, 57.5x), Wayne Gretzky #381 from 1984 O-Pee-Chee (raw $7.58, PSA 10 $433.69, 57.2x), Terry Harper #32 from 1963 Parkhurst (raw $26.40, PSA 10 $1,500, 56.8x), Scott Stevens #376 from 1983 O-Pee-Chee (raw $9.38, PSA 10 $531.12, 56.6x), Steve Yzerman from 1983 Canadian National Juniors (raw $50.01, PSA 10 $2,828, 56.5x), and Bobby Orr #100 from 1972 Topps (raw $25.18, PSA 10 $1,415.24, 56.2x). If your goal is squeezing the largest multiplier from grading into PSA 10, these named cards are the clear examples in the market where raw-to-PSA-10 premiums are highest.

Turning from multipliers to dollar upside after paying the grading fee, use the grading-fee assumption of $25 as the arithmetic checkpoint for whether grading to PSA 10 would produce positive nominal upside. The report's top candidates on that metric are dominated by high-end rookies and autograph patches where the PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee is strongly positive. Leading the list is Connor Bedard [Rookie Patch Auto] #150 from 2023 Upper Deck The Cup: raw $19,073.77, PSA 9 $27,824.45, PSA 10 $72,962.28, and PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equals $53,863.51. Next is Connor McDavid [Seismic Gold] #M1 from 2015 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Marquee Rookies: raw $4,963.13, PSA 9 $6,735.34, PSA 10 $30,000, and PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equals $25,011.87. Ivan Demidov [Outburst Red] #205 from 2025 Upper Deck with raw $5,202.82 and PSA 10 $22,254.05 shows PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equals $17,026.23. Alexander Ovechkin #RR30 from 2004 SP Authentic Rookie Redemption (raw $598.60, PSA 9 $935, PSA 10 $15,000) has PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equal to $14,376.40. Wayne Gretzky #WG from 1997 SP Authentic Sign of the Times (raw $577.95, PSA 9 $2,586.17, PSA 10 $14,875.16) shows PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equal to $14,272.21.

More cards that clear the grading-fee hurdle by large margins include Connor Bedard #LL-CB from 2023 Upper Deck The Cup Limited Logos Auto Patch (raw $5,056.26, PSA 9 $7,374.03, PSA 10 $19,305.54, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $14,224.28), Macklin Celebrini #RG-MC from 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Autograph Rookie Gear (raw $3,614.90, PSA 9 $5,580.48, PSA 10 $15,449.25, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $11,809.35), Macklin Celebrini [Gold Spectrum Foil Variation Auto Rookie] #148 from 2024 Upper Deck (raw $3,537.50, PSA 9 $5,397.02, PSA 10 $14,928.62, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $11,366.12), Connor McDavid [Autograph] #226 from 2015 SP Authentic (raw $5,058.86, PSA 9 $6,062.94, PSA 10 $14,535.72, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $9,451.86), Ivan Demidov [Inscribed Autograph] #149 from 2025 SP Authentic (raw $2,450, PSA 9 $3,913.81, PSA 10 $11,476.66, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $9,001.66), Matthew Schaefer [10] #PC-37 from 2025 Upper Deck Series 2 Population Count (raw $2,539.80, PSA 9 $3,999.52, PSA 10 $11,534.67, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $8,969.87), and Connor Bedard #EC-CB from 2023 Upper Deck The Cup Exquisite Collection Rookie Auto Patch (raw $3,031.21, PSA 9 $4,417.73, PSA 10 $11,571.14, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee $8,514.93). Those PSA 10 minus raw minus $25 figures are the straight-dollar upside you would see if the card grades PSA 10.

This list of 'worth grading' cases illustrates two practical points for sellers and graders. First, the largest absolute upside after a $25 fee is concentrated in high-dollar rookies and autographs where PSA 10 prices sit far above raw. Second, the PSA 9 price is frequently far below PSA 10 for these cards (recall median PSA 9 is 35.0% of PSA 10), so the decision to grade hinges on the assumption that the card actually receives a PSA 10. The upside numbers above — for example, $53,863.51 for Connor Bedard [Rookie Patch Auto] #150 or $25,011.87 for Connor McDavid [Seismic Gold] #M1 — all assume a PSA 10 result and reflect PSA 10 price less the raw price and the $25 grading fee.

On the flip side are notable cards where grading to PSA 10 would not be profitable given the present market prices and the $25 assumption. These 'not worth grading' entries already show a negative PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee. The extreme example is Macklin Celebrini [Outburst Red] #451 from 2024 Upper Deck: raw $9,100.55 and PSA 10 $1,288.77, producing PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equal to -$7,836.78. Cale Makar [Speckled Rainbow Foil] #493 from 2019 Upper Deck shows raw $4,750 and PSA 10 $4,076.14, with PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equal to -$698.86. Auston Matthews [Clear Cut] #201 from 2016 Upper Deck lists raw $2,925 and PSA 10 $2,554.40, with PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee equal to -$395.60. Additional examples include Connor Bedard #RFWA-CB from 2023 SP Authentic 2013 Retro Future Watch Auto (raw $1,993.15, PSA 10 $1,624.67, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee -$393.48), Alex Ovechkin [Red Prizm] #46 from 2013 Panini Select (raw $1,725, PSA 10 $650, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee -$1,100), Auston Matthews [Rainbow] #R-AM from 2016 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Rookie Autographs (raw $1,230.35, PSA 10 $992.11, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee -$263.24), Tim Stutzle [Autograph] #CD-TS from 2020 Upper Deck Clear Cut Canvas Rookie Debuts (raw $1,072.28, PSA 10 $601.40, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee -$495.88), and Wayne Gretzky [Super Script] #1 from 1999 Upper Deck MVP (raw $999.99, PSA 10 $799, PSA 10 price minus raw price minus grading fee -$225.99). For these named cards, the arithmetic after subtracting the raw price and the $25 fee shows a loss if the card only reaches the PSA 10 price level.

Finally, a practical reminder for anyone deciding whether to grade: the upside figures and the 'worth grading' or 'not worth grading' conclusions are conditional on the card actually grading PSA 10. The median relationships — PSA 10 is 8.7 times raw, PSA 9 is 35.0% of PSA 10, CGC 10 is 60.0% of PSA 10, and BGS 10 is 130.0% of PSA 10 — describe where prices sit when those grades are achieved. If a card does not receive PSA 10, the realized outcome will be the PSA 9 or another grade's market price and that can materially change the economics. Collectors who are preparing submissions should weigh the dollar upside numbers above against their view of the card's likelihood to grade PSA 10 and any additional costs or risks in the submission process; the pure market arithmetic in this section assumes only the $25 grading fee and a PSA 10 result.

Collectors and sellers focusing on new hockey releases should start with the largest pool by total raw value: 2025 Upper Deck. That set lists 387 priced cards and a total raw value of $48,417. Its top raw card is Ivan Demidov [Outburst Red] #205 at $5,202.82 and that same card's PSA 10 price is $22,254.05. With nearly four hundred priced cards, 2025 Upper Deck dominates this year's catalog in scope and in concentrated value at the top end. If you hold Demidov material, note the gap between the ungraded raw price and the PSA 10 figure for the Outburst Red example; for sellers considering grading, the grading fee assumption of $25 can be used when weighing whether to submit single high-ticket pieces.

After Upper Deck's flagship, 2025 Upper Deck Series 2 is the next-largest by total raw value, with 175 priced cards and a total raw value of $22,543. The set's top raw card is Michael Misa [Outburst Red] #487 at $4,089.83 and the PSA 10 figure reported for that card is $10,000. Series 2 also contributes multiple other high-touch subsets in the reporting, so collectors tracking early-2025 rookies should pay attention to both raw and PSA 10 spreads within Series 2. For anyone buying into Series 2, the raw top price and the PSA 10 price for the Misa illustrate how a single premier rookie example can represent a substantial slice of a set's total raw value.

Beyond the two largest sets, several 2025 releases show concentrated value despite fewer priced cards. 2025 Upper Deck Extended Series Acetate Young Guns lists 33 priced cards and total raw value of $11,744; its top raw card is Beckett Sennecke #701 at $1,611.27 with a PSA 10 price of $7,406.25. 2025 SP Authentic reports 35 priced cards and a total raw value of $6,844 with Ivan Demidov [Inscribed Autograph] #149 as the top raw card at $2,450 and a PSA 10 price of $11,476.66. 2025 Upper Deck Artifacts has 64 priced cards and total raw value of $7,220 with Ivan Demidov [Black Auto Material] #174 as the top raw at $3,400. These sets demonstrate that even modest-sized releases can concentrate value in one or two headline cards, and that several different Demidov cards appear among the top raw prices reported for 2025 releases.

The remainder of the reported 2025 sets show a mix of broader card counts with lower per-card raw tops and smaller total raw pools. 2025 Upper Deck Allure lists 243 priced cards with total raw value of $7,191; its top raw is Matthew Schaefer [Extended Rookie Blue Line Autograph] #AR-MS at $750 and the PSA 10 price for that card is $3,254.42. 2025 Upper Deck Series 2 Dazzlers has 145 priced cards, total raw value $3,996, and top raw Matthew Schaefer [Gold] #DZ-57 at $1,426.57 with a PSA 10 of $6,398.19. 2025 Upper Deck Series 2 Population Count includes 89 priced cards, total raw value $4,832, and top raw Matthew Schaefer [10] #PC-37 at $2,539.80 with a PSA 10 of $11,534.67. Other single-top-card highlights across the reporting include 2025 Upper Deck Population Count 1000 (70 priced cards, total raw value $4,033; Ivan Demidov [10] #PC-17 top raw $2,085.73), 2025 O-Pee-Chee (385 priced cards, total raw value $3,907; Ivan Demidov [Rainbow Foil Green] #542 top raw $250 and PSA 10 $1,114.53), 2025 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Preview (62 priced cards, total raw value $3,977; Beckett Sennecke [Gold] #P-9 top raw $416.64 with PSA 10 $1,836.55), 2025 SP Game Used Stanley Cup Finals Puck Relic (14 priced cards, total raw value $3,778; Sergei Bobrovsky #SCP-BO top raw $400 with PSA 10 $1,985.06), 2025 Upper Deck Outburst Retro Young Guns (11 priced cards, total raw value $4,844; Alex Ovechkin [Red] #OR-16 top raw $3,499), 2025 Upper Deck Bootleg (18 priced cards, total raw value $3,426; Sidney Crosby #BL-1 top raw $353.75 with PSA 10 $1,632.12) and 2025 Upper Deck Dazzlers (105 priced cards, total raw value $3,315; Connor Bedard [Gold] #DZ-20 top raw $350 with PSA 10 $1,458.51). For collectors deciding whether to buy raw or pursue grading, the listed PSA 10 prices alongside raw prices provide concrete reference points; use the $25 grading fee assumption when modeling whether a card's potential PSA 10 value justifies submission costs.