Is Ray Bourque #3 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1998 O-Pee-Chee Chrome Blast From the Past · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ray Bourque #3 sells for $64.00 against $12.47 raw: a $51.53 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($58.35) 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)
- $12.47
- Grade 9.5
- $64.00
- PSA 9
- $58.35
- Gem premium
- 5.1×
- 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 | $64.00 | +$26.53 | +$1.53 | −$98.47 |
| PSA 9 | $58.35 | +$20.88 | −$4.12 | −$104 |
Net = sale price − $12.47 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% | $59.76 | −$2.71 |
| 50% | $61.17 | −$1.30 |
| 75% | $62.59 | +$0.12 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 73%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
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Grading Ray Bourque #3 — FAQ
Is Ray Bourque #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ray Bourque #3 sells for $64.00 against $12.47 raw: a $51.53 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($58.35) 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 #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Bourque #3 breaks even when it gems about 73% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $58.35).
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