Is Ralph Backstrom #166 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1969 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 92× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #166 sells for $433 against $4.70 raw: a $428 spread, 92× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.01) 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)
- $4.70
- PSA 10
- $433
- PSA 9
- $18.01
- Gem premium
- 92×
- 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 | $433 | +$403 | +$378 | +$278 |
| PSA 9 | $18.01 | −$11.69 | −$36.69 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $12.65 | −$17.05 | −$42.05 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $4.70 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% | $122 | +$67.06 |
| 50% | $226 | +$171 |
| 75% | $329 | +$275 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $563 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $433 | −$130 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $260 | −$303 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $260 | −$303 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Ralph Backstrom #166 — FAQ
Is Ralph Backstrom #166 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #166 sells for $433 against $4.70 raw: a $428 spread, 92× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.01) 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 Ralph Backstrom #166 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #166 (Hockey Cards 1969 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $433 versus $4.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 92× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ralph Backstrom #166?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $563, ahead of PSA 10 at $433. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ralph Backstrom #166 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 Ralph Backstrom #166 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ralph Backstrom #166 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.01).
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