Is Ralph Backstrom #131 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1972 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 129× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #131 sells for $148 against $1.15 raw: a $147 spread, 129× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.61) 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)
- $1.15
- PSA 10
- $148
- PSA 9
- $10.61
- Gem premium
- 129×
- 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 | $148 | +$122 | +$97.23 | −$2.77 |
| PSA 9 | $10.61 | −$15.54 | −$40.54 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $7.11 | −$19.04 | −$44.04 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.15 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% | $45.05 | −$6.10 |
| 50% | $79.50 | +$28.34 |
| 75% | $114 | +$62.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 | $193 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $148 | −$44.62 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $89.00 | −$104 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $89.00 | −$104 | 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 | $148 | $89.00 | $193 | $89.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $56.59 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $10.61 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.11 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Ralph Backstrom #131 — FAQ
Is Ralph Backstrom #131 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #131 sells for $148 against $1.15 raw: a $147 spread, 129× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.61) 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 #131 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ralph Backstrom #131 (Hockey Cards 1972 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $148 versus $1.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 129× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ralph Backstrom #131?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $193, ahead of PSA 10 at $148. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ralph Backstrom #131 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 #131 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ralph Backstrom #131 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.61).
Is your hockey 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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