Is Don Lever #86 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1978 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Don Lever #86 sells for $79.00 against $1.13 raw: a $77.87 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.13
- Grade 9.5
- $79.00
- PSA 9
- $72.00
- Gem premium
- 70×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $79.00 | +$52.87 | +$27.87 | −$72.13 |
| PSA 9 | $72.00 | +$45.87 | +$20.87 | −$79.13 |
| PSA 8 | $18.98 | −$7.15 | −$32.15 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.13 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% | $73.75 | +$22.62 |
| 50% | $75.50 | +$24.37 |
| 75% | $77.25 | +$26.12 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Don Lever #86 — FAQ
Is Don Lever #86 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Don Lever #86 sells for $79.00 against $1.13 raw: a $77.87 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
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