Is Mario Lemieux #3 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1989 Topps Stickers · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 56× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #3 sells for $120 against $2.13 raw: a $118 spread, 56× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.89) 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)
- $2.13
- PSA 10
- $120
- PSA 9
- $11.89
- Gem premium
- 56×
- 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 | $120 | +$92.86 | +$67.86 | −$32.14 |
| PSA 9 | $11.89 | −$15.24 | −$40.24 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $9.13 | −$18.00 | −$43.00 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $2.13 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% | $38.91 | −$13.22 |
| 50% | $65.94 | +$13.81 |
| 75% | $92.96 | +$40.83 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 | $156 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $120 | −$36.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 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 | $120 | $72.00 | $156 | $72.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.68 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.89 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.13 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.85 |
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 #3 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #3 sells for $120 against $2.13 raw: a $118 spread, 56× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.89) 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 #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #3 (Hockey Cards 1989 Topps Stickers) sells for about $120 versus $2.13 for a raw near-mint copy — a 56× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $156, ahead of PSA 10 at $120. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #3 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 #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux #3 breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.89).
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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