![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 $73.85 raw: a $111 spread, 2.5× 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)
- $73.85
- Grade 9.5
- $185
- PSA 9
- $168
- Gem premium
- 2.5×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | +$86.15 | +$61.15 | −$38.85 |
| PSA 9 | $168 | +$69.34 | +$44.34 | −$55.66 |
| PSA 8 | $77.68 | −$21.17 | −$46.17 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $73.85 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 | +$48.54 |
| 50% | $177 | +$52.75 |
| 75% | $181 | +$56.95 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Other 1996 Select Certified cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mario Lemieux [Mirror Gold] #10 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uWMAAOSwJ7BjyG6C/s-l500.jpg)
![Eric Lindros [Mirror Gold] #1 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uUUAAeSwMaJqqz8F/s-l500.jpg)
![Wayne Gretzky [Mirror Gold] #4 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6TEAAOSw2A5kKcC5/s-l500.jpg)
![Jaromir Jagr [Mirror Gold] #43 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JqcAAeSwENVqY-iv/s-l500.jpg)
![Patrick Roy [Mirror Gold] #81 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/nP4AAOSw231mqdy8/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 $73.85 raw: a $111 spread, 2.5× 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.
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