Is Mario Lemieux #23 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1987 O-Pee-Chee Minis · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #23 sells for $99.99 against $3.20 raw: a $96.79 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.26) 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)
- $3.20
- PSA 10
- $99.99
- PSA 9
- $23.26
- Gem premium
- 31×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $99.99 | +$71.79 | +$46.79 | −$53.21 |
| PSA 9 | $23.26 | −$4.94 | −$29.94 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $23.00 | −$5.20 | −$30.20 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $3.20 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% | $42.44 | −$10.76 |
| 50% | $61.63 | +$8.42 |
| 75% | $80.81 | +$27.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.99 | −$30.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $99.99 | $60.00 | $130 | $60.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $57.58 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.26 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.75 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Mario Lemieux #23 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #23 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #23 sells for $99.99 against $3.20 raw: a $96.79 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.26) 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 Mario Lemieux #23 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #23 (Hockey Cards 1987 O-Pee-Chee Minis) sells for about $99.99 versus $3.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #23?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #23 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 Mario Lemieux #23 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux #23 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.26).
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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