Is Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1998 Be a Player · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 sells for $70.38 against $1.73 raw: a $68.65 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.12) 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)
- $1.73
- PSA 10
- $70.38
- PSA 9
- $17.12
- Gem premium
- 41×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $70.38 | +$43.65 | +$18.65 | −$81.35 |
| PSA 9 | $17.12 | −$9.61 | −$34.61 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $8.54 | −$18.19 | −$43.19 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.73 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% | $30.43 | −$21.30 |
| 50% | $43.75 | −$7.98 |
| 75% | $57.06 | +$5.34 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 65%. 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 | $91.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $70.38 | −$20.62 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 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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Full set checklist →Grading Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 — FAQ
Is Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 sells for $70.38 against $1.73 raw: a $68.65 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.12) 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 Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 (Hockey Cards 1998 Be a Player) sells for about $70.38 versus $1.73 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $91.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.38. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 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 Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sandy McCarthy [Autograph] #282 breaks even when it gems about 65% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.12).
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