Is Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 2021 Upper Deck MVP · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 sells for $182 against $61.00 raw: a $121 spread, 3.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($165) 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)
- $61.00
- Grade 9.5
- $182
- PSA 9
- $165
- Gem premium
- 3.0×
- 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 | $182 | +$96.00 | +$71.00 | −$29.00 |
| PSA 9 | $165 | +$79.00 | +$54.00 | −$46.00 |
| PSA 8 | $150 | +$64.00 | +$39.00 | −$61.00 |
Net = sale price − $61.00 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% | $169 | +$58.25 |
| 50% | $174 | +$62.50 |
| 75% | $178 | +$66.75 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $30.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 — FAQ
Is Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 sells for $182 against $61.00 raw: a $121 spread, 3.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($165) 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 centering does Cole Caufield [Autograph Magenta] #243 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.
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