Is Kevin McCarthy #178 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1984 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 75× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kevin McCarthy #178 sells for $74.93 against $1.00 raw: a $73.93 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.05) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $74.93
- PSA 9
- $12.05
- Gem premium
- 75×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $74.93 | +$48.93 | +$23.93 | −$76.07 |
| PSA 9 | $12.05 | −$13.95 | −$38.95 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $27.77 | −$23.23 |
| 50% | $43.49 | −$7.51 |
| 75% | $59.21 | +$8.21 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $97.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $74.93 | −$22.07 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$52.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$52.00 | 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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Grading Kevin McCarthy #178 — FAQ
Is Kevin McCarthy #178 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kevin McCarthy #178 sells for $74.93 against $1.00 raw: a $73.93 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.05) 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 Kevin McCarthy #178 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kevin McCarthy #178 (Hockey Cards 1984 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $74.93 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 75× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kevin McCarthy #178?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $97.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $74.93. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kevin McCarthy #178 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 Kevin McCarthy #178 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kevin McCarthy #178 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.05).
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