Is Don Marcotte #89 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1973 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 113× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Don Marcotte #89 sells for $224 against $1.99 raw: a $222 spread, 113× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.29) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $224
- PSA 9
- $26.29
- Gem premium
- 113×
- 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 | $224 | +$197 | +$172 | +$72.01 |
| PSA 9 | $26.29 | −$0.70 | −$25.70 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $9.96 | −$17.03 | −$42.03 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $75.72 | +$23.73 |
| 50% | $125 | +$73.16 |
| 75% | $175 | +$123 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $291 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $224 | −$67.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $134 | −$157 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $134 | −$157 | 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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Grading Don Marcotte #89 — FAQ
Is Don Marcotte #89 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Marcotte #89 sells for $224 against $1.99 raw: a $222 spread, 113× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.29) 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 Don Marcotte #89 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Marcotte #89 (Hockey Cards 1973 Topps) sells for about $224 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 113× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Marcotte #89?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $291, ahead of PSA 10 at $224. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Marcotte #89 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 Don Marcotte #89 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Marcotte #89 breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.29).
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