Is Tom McCarthy #38 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1987 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 125× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tom McCarthy #38 sells for $104 against $0.83 raw: a $103 spread, 125× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.00) 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)
- $0.83
- PSA 10
- $104
- PSA 9
- $11.00
- Gem premium
- 125×
- 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 | $104 | +$77.79 | +$52.79 | −$47.21 |
| PSA 9 | $11.00 | −$14.83 | −$39.83 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $9.95 | −$15.88 | −$40.88 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $0.83 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% | $34.16 | −$16.67 |
| 50% | $57.31 | +$6.48 |
| 75% | $80.47 | +$29.64 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 43%. 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 | $135 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $104 | −$31.38 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $62.00 | −$73.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $62.00 | −$73.00 | 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 Tom McCarthy #38 — FAQ
Is Tom McCarthy #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom McCarthy #38 sells for $104 against $0.83 raw: a $103 spread, 125× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.00) 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 Tom McCarthy #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom McCarthy #38 (Hockey Cards 1987 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $104 versus $0.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 125× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom McCarthy #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $135, ahead of PSA 10 at $104. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom McCarthy #38 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 Tom McCarthy #38 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom McCarthy #38 breaks even when it gems about 43% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.00).
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