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Steve Yzerman #196 (Hockey Cards 1988 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Steve Yzerman #196 worth grading?

Hockey · Hockey Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 54× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Steve Yzerman #196 sells for $94.50 against $1.75 raw: a $92.75 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.08) 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)
$1.75
PSA 10
$94.50
PSA 9
$25.08
Gem premium
54×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Steve Yzerman #196: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$94.50+$67.75+$42.75−$57.25
PSA 9$25.08−$1.67−$26.67−$127
PSA 8$6.62−$20.13−$45.13−$145

Net = sale price − $1.75 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?

Steve Yzerman #196: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$42.44−$9.31
50%$59.79+$8.04
75%$77.14+$25.39

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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
Steve Yzerman #196: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$123best55/4570/30
PSA 10$94.50−$28.5055/4575/25
CGC 10$57.00−$66.0055/4575/25
SGC 10$57.00−$66.0055/4575/25

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.

Steve Yzerman #196 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$94.50$57.00$123$57.00
9.5$43.85
9$25.08
8$6.62
7$6.54

Run your own numbers

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Other 1988 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist

Grading Steve Yzerman #196 — FAQ

Is Steve Yzerman #196 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Steve Yzerman #196 sells for $94.50 against $1.75 raw: a $92.75 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.08) 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 Steve Yzerman #196 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Steve Yzerman #196 (Hockey Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $94.50 versus $1.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 54× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Steve Yzerman #196?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $123, ahead of PSA 10 at $94.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Steve Yzerman #196 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 Steve Yzerman #196 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Yzerman #196 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.08).

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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