Is Poul Popiel #59 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1974 O-Pee-Chee WHA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 124× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Poul Popiel #59 sells for $246 against $1.99 raw: a $244 spread, 124× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.74) 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
- $246
- PSA 9
- $21.74
- Gem premium
- 124×
- 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 | $246 | +$219 | +$194 | +$93.89 |
| PSA 9 | $21.74 | −$5.25 | −$30.25 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $10.94 | −$16.05 | −$41.05 | −$141 |
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% | $77.78 | +$25.79 |
| 50% | $134 | +$81.82 |
| 75% | $190 | +$138 |
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 | $320 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $246 | −$74.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $148 | −$172 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $148 | −$172 | 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 Poul Popiel #59 — FAQ
Is Poul Popiel #59 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Poul Popiel #59 sells for $246 against $1.99 raw: a $244 spread, 124× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.74) 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 Poul Popiel #59 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Poul Popiel #59 (Hockey Cards 1974 O-Pee-Chee WHA) sells for about $246 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 124× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Poul Popiel #59?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $320, ahead of PSA 10 at $246. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Poul Popiel #59 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 Poul Popiel #59 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Poul Popiel #59 breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.74).
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