![Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 (Hockey Cards 1995 Collector's Choice) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bKgAAeSw-4NqcV2s/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1995 Collector's Choice · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 sells for $127 against $5.69 raw: a $122 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.41) 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)
- $5.69
- PSA 10
- $127
- PSA 9
- $21.41
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $127 | +$96.51 | +$71.51 | −$28.49 |
| PSA 9 | $21.41 | −$9.28 | −$34.28 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $17.57 | −$13.12 | −$38.12 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $5.69 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% | $47.86 | −$7.83 |
| 50% | $74.31 | +$18.62 |
| 75% | $101 | +$45.06 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. 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 | $165 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $127 | −$37.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $76.00 | −$89.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $76.00 | −$89.00 | 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 | $127 | $76.00 | $165 | $76.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $57.37 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.41 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $17.57 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $14.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1995 Collector's Choice cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
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Grading Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 — FAQ
Is Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 sells for $127 against $5.69 raw: a $122 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.41) 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 [Platinum Player's Club] #256 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 (Hockey Cards 1995 Collector's Choice) sells for about $127 versus $5.69 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $165, ahead of PSA 10 at $127. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 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 [Platinum Player's Club] #256 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mario Lemieux [Platinum Player's Club] #256 breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.41).
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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