Is Mario Lemieux #189 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1992 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #189 sells for $87.00 against $1.82 raw: a $85.18 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.36) 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)
- $1.82
- PSA 10
- $87.00
- PSA 9
- $17.36
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $87.00 | +$60.18 | +$35.18 | −$64.82 |
| PSA 9 | $17.36 | −$9.46 | −$34.46 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $6.00 | −$20.82 | −$45.82 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.82 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% | $34.77 | −$17.05 |
| 50% | $52.18 | +$0.36 |
| 75% | $69.59 | +$17.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $113 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $87.00 | −$26.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 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 | $87.00 | $52.00 | $113 | $52.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.82 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.36 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1992 Bowman cards worth checking
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Grading Mario Lemieux #189 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #189 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #189 sells for $87.00 against $1.82 raw: a $85.18 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.36) 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 #189 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #189 (Hockey Cards 1992 Bowman) sells for about $87.00 versus $1.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #189?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $113, ahead of PSA 10 at $87.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #189 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 #189 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux #189 breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.36).
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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