Is Ray Bourque #5 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ray Bourque #5 sells for $118 against $2.41 raw: a $116 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.84) 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)
- $2.41
- PSA 10
- $118
- PSA 9
- $24.84
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $118 | +$90.74 | +$65.74 | −$34.26 |
| PSA 9 | $24.84 | −$2.57 | −$27.57 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $17.25 | −$10.16 | −$35.16 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $2.41 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% | $48.17 | −$4.24 |
| 50% | $71.50 | +$19.09 |
| 75% | $94.82 | +$42.41 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $154 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $118 | −$35.85 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $71.00 | −$83.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $71.00 | −$83.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Ray Bourque #5 — FAQ
Is Ray Bourque #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Bourque #5 sells for $118 against $2.41 raw: a $116 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.84) 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 Ray Bourque #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Bourque #5 (Hockey Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $118 versus $2.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Bourque #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $154, ahead of PSA 10 at $118. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Bourque #5 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 Ray Bourque #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Bourque #5 breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.84).
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