![Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 (Hockey Cards 1996 Select Certified) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/W9UAAeSwfpRpUTNH/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1996 Select Certified · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 sells for $185 against $125 raw: a $60.01 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($168) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $125
- Grade 9.5
- $185
- PSA 9
- $168
- Gem premium
- 1.5×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $185 | +$35.01 | +$10.01 | −$89.99 |
| PSA 9 | $168 | +$18.20 | −$6.80 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $77.68 | −$72.31 | −$97.31 | −$197 |
Net = sale price − $125 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% | $172 | −$2.60 |
| 50% | $177 | +$1.61 |
| 75% | $181 | +$5.81 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $185 |
| 9 | $168 |
| 8 | $77.68 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Select Certified cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Jaromir Jagr [Mirror Gold] #43 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JqcAAeSwENVqY-iv/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 — FAQ
Is Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 sells for $185 against $125 raw: a $60.01 spread, 1.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($168) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Bourque [Mirror Gold] #5 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $168).
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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