Is Wayne Gretzky #18 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1979 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky #18 sells for $2,046,596 against $733 raw: a $2,045,863 spread, 2793× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($115,049) 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)
- $733
- PSA 10
- $2,046,596
- PSA 9
- $115,049
- Gem premium
- 2793×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $2,046,596 | +$2,045,838 | +$2,045,813 | +$2,045,713 |
| PSA 9 | $115,049 | +$114,292 | +$114,267 | +$114,167 |
| PSA 8 | $18,977 | +$18,219 | +$18,194 | +$18,094 |
Net = sale price − $733 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% | $597,936 | +$597,153 |
| 50% | $1,080,823 | +$1,080,040 |
| 75% | $1,563,709 | +$1,562,927 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $2,660,575 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,046,596 | −$613,979 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,227,958 | −$1,432,617 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,227,958 | −$1,432,617 | 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 | $2,046,596 | $1,227,958 | $2,660,575 | $1,227,958 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $126,554 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $115,049 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $18,977 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5,924 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Wayne Gretzky #18 — FAQ
Is Wayne Gretzky #18 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky #18 sells for $2,046,596 against $733 raw: a $2,045,863 spread, 2793× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($115,049) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky #18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky #18 (Hockey Cards 1979 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $2,046,596 versus $733 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2793× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Wayne Gretzky #18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,660,575, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,046,596. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Wayne Gretzky #18 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.
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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