Is James Neal #209 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 2008 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 James Neal #209 sells for $58.16 against $1.50 raw: a $56.66 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.00) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $58.16
- PSA 9
- $9.00
- Gem premium
- 39×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $58.16 | +$31.66 | +$6.66 | −$93.34 |
| PSA 9 | $9.00 | −$17.50 | −$42.50 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $3.13 | −$23.37 | −$48.37 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $21.29 | −$30.21 |
| 50% | $33.58 | −$17.92 |
| 75% | $45.87 | −$5.63 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 86%. 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 | $76.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $58.16 | −$17.84 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$41.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$41.00 | 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.
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Grading James Neal #209 — FAQ
Is James Neal #209 worth grading?
A PSA 10 James Neal #209 sells for $58.16 against $1.50 raw: a $56.66 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.00) 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 James Neal #209 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 James Neal #209 (Hockey Cards 2008 Upper Deck) sells for about $58.16 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for James Neal #209?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $76.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $58.16. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does James Neal #209 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 James Neal #209 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting James Neal #209 breaks even when it gems about 86% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.00).
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