Is Mario Lemieux #144 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1990 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 29× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #144 sells for $51.31 against $1.79 raw: a $49.52 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.16) 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)
- $1.79
- PSA 10
- $51.31
- PSA 9
- $13.16
- Gem premium
- 29×
- 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 | $51.31 | +$24.52 | −$0.48 | −$100 |
| PSA 9 | $13.16 | −$13.63 | −$38.63 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $5.31 | −$21.48 | −$46.48 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.79 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% | $22.70 | −$29.09 |
| 50% | $32.23 | −$19.55 |
| 75% | $41.77 | −$10.02 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $226 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.31 | −$174 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$195 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$195 | 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 | $51.31 | $31.00 | $226 | $31.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.16 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.16 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.31 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Mario Lemieux #144 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #144 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #144 sells for $51.31 against $1.79 raw: a $49.52 spread, 29× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.16) 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 #144 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #144 (Hockey Cards 1990 Upper Deck) sells for about $51.31 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 29× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #144?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $226, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.31. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #144 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.
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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