Is John Klingberg #251 worth grading?

Hockey · Hockey Cards 2014 SP Authentic · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of John Klingberg #251 sell for $8.88, only $2.89 above the $5.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($6.94) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM): $5.99
Grade 9.5: $8.88
PSA 9: $6.94
Gem premium: 1.5×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

John Klingberg #251: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$8.88	−$22.11	−$47.11	−$147
PSA 9	$6.94	−$24.05	−$49.05	−$149

Net = sale price − $5.99 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?

John Klingberg #251: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$7.43	−$48.56
50%	$7.91	−$48.08
75%	$8.39	−$47.59

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

John Klingberg #251 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$8.88
9	$6.94

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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