Is Esa Tikkanen #260 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1988 O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 77× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Esa Tikkanen #260 sells for $84.00 against $1.09 raw: a $82.91 spread, 77× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) 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)
- $1.09
- PSA 10
- $84.00
- PSA 9
- $10.00
- Gem premium
- 77×
- 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 | $84.00 | +$57.91 | +$32.91 | −$67.09 |
| PSA 9 | $10.00 | −$16.09 | −$41.09 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $8.88 | −$17.21 | −$42.21 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.09 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% | $28.50 | −$22.59 |
| 50% | $47.00 | −$4.09 |
| 75% | $65.50 | +$14.41 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.00 | −$25.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 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 Esa Tikkanen #260 — FAQ
Is Esa Tikkanen #260 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Esa Tikkanen #260 sells for $84.00 against $1.09 raw: a $82.91 spread, 77× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) 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 Esa Tikkanen #260 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Esa Tikkanen #260 (Hockey Cards 1988 O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $84.00 versus $1.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 77× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Esa Tikkanen #260?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Esa Tikkanen #260 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 Esa Tikkanen #260 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Esa Tikkanen #260 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.00).
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