Is Mario Marois #279 worth grading?

Hockey · Hockey Cards 1981 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Mario Marois #279 sell for $18.00, only $16.70 above the $1.30 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM): $1.30
Grade 9.5: $18.00
PSA 9: $15.99
Gem premium: 14×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Mario Marois #279: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$18.00	−$8.30	−$33.30	−$133
PSA 9	$15.99	−$10.31	−$35.31	−$135
PSA 8	$6.17	−$20.13	−$45.13	−$145

Net = sale price − $1.30 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?

Mario Marois #279: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$16.49	−$34.81
50%	$17.00	−$34.30
75%	$17.50	−$33.80

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Mario Marois #279 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$18.00
9	$15.99
8	$6.17

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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