Is Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 2022 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 sells for $265 against $29.99 raw: a $235 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($221) 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)
- $29.99
- PSA 10
- $265
- PSA 9
- $221
- Gem premium
- 8.8×
- 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 | $265 | +$210 | +$185 | +$85.01 |
| PSA 9 | $221 | +$166 | +$141 | +$41.01 |
| PSA 8 | $201 | +$146 | +$121 | +$21.16 |
Net = sale price − $29.99 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $232 | +$152 |
| 50% | $243 | +$163 |
| 75% | $254 | +$174 |
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 | $345 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $265 | −$80.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $159 | −$186 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $159 | −$186 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 — FAQ
Is Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 sells for $265 against $29.99 raw: a $235 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($221) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 (Hockey Cards 2022 Upper Deck) sells for about $265 versus $29.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.8× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $345, ahead of PSA 10 at $265. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Noah Cates [Clear Cut] #249 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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