Is Rich Preston #139 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1985 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 203× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Rich Preston #139 sells for $50.87 against $0.25 raw: a $50.62 spread, 203× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($3.99) 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)
- $0.25
- PSA 10
- $50.87
- PSA 9
- $3.99
- Gem premium
- 203×
- 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 | $50.87 | +$25.62 | +$0.62 | −$99.38 |
| PSA 9 | $3.99 | −$21.26 | −$46.26 | −$146 |
| PSA 8 | $2.04 | −$23.21 | −$48.21 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $0.25 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% | $15.71 | −$34.54 |
| 50% | $27.43 | −$22.82 |
| 75% | $39.15 | −$11.10 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 99%. 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 | $66.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $50.87 | −$15.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$35.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$35.00 | 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 Rich Preston #139 — FAQ
Is Rich Preston #139 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rich Preston #139 sells for $50.87 against $0.25 raw: a $50.62 spread, 203× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($3.99) 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 Rich Preston #139 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rich Preston #139 (Hockey Cards 1985 Topps) sells for about $50.87 versus $0.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 203× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rich Preston #139?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $66.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $50.87. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rich Preston #139 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 Rich Preston #139 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rich Preston #139 breaks even when it gems about 99% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $3.99).
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