Is Mario Lemieux #2 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1988 Topps Stickers · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 72× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #2 sells for $148 against $2.04 raw: a $146 spread, 72× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.19) 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)
- $2.04
- PSA 10
- $148
- PSA 9
- $21.19
- Gem premium
- 72×
- 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 | $148 | +$121 | +$95.59 | −$4.41 |
| PSA 9 | $21.19 | −$5.85 | −$30.85 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $14.87 | −$12.17 | −$37.17 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $2.04 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% | $52.80 | +$0.76 |
| 50% | $84.41 | +$32.37 |
| 75% | $116 | +$63.98 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $192 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $148 | −$44.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $89.00 | −$103 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $89.00 | −$103 | 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 | $148 | $89.00 | $192 | $89.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $47.62 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.19 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $14.87 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $8.50 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Mario Lemieux #2 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #2 sells for $148 against $2.04 raw: a $146 spread, 72× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.19) 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 #2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #2 (Hockey Cards 1988 Topps Stickers) sells for about $148 versus $2.04 for a raw near-mint copy — a 72× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $192, ahead of PSA 10 at $148. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #2 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 #2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux #2 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.19).
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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