Is Mario Lemieux #221 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1993 Pinnacle · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 55× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #221 sells for $84.57 against $1.54 raw: a $83.03 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.41) 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)
- $1.54
- PSA 10
- $84.57
- PSA 9
- $13.41
- Gem premium
- 55×
- 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 | $84.57 | +$58.03 | +$33.03 | −$66.97 |
| PSA 9 | $13.41 | −$13.13 | −$38.13 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.55 | −$41.55 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.54 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% | $31.20 | −$20.34 |
| 50% | $48.99 | −$2.55 |
| 75% | $66.78 | +$15.24 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.57 | −$25.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $51.00 | −$59.00 | 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 | $84.57 | $51.00 | $110 | $51.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $34.77 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.41 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.99 |
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 #221 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux #221 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #221 sells for $84.57 against $1.54 raw: a $83.03 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.41) 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 #221 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux #221 (Hockey Cards 1993 Pinnacle) sells for about $84.57 versus $1.54 for a raw near-mint copy — a 55× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux #221?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $110, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux #221 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 #221 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux #221 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.41).
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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