Is Iron Man #87 worth grading?
Marvel · Marvel 2016 Masterpieces · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Iron Man #87 sell for $87.00, only $0.00 above the $130 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($78.69) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $130
- Grade 9.5
- $87.00
- PSA 9
- $78.69
- Gem premium
- 0.7×
- As of
- Aug 15, 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 | $87.00 | −$68.17 | −$93.17 | −$193 |
| PSA 9 | $78.69 | −$76.48 | −$101 | −$201 |
Net = sale price − $130 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% | $80.77 | −$99.40 |
| 50% | $82.84 | −$97.32 |
| 75% | $84.92 | −$95.25 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $79.09 | best | 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 →| Grade | CGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $79.09 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $87.00 |
| 9 | — | $78.69 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Marvel 2016 Masterpieces cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Iron Man #87 — FAQ
Is Iron Man #87 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Iron Man #87 sell for $87.00, only $0.00 above the $130 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($78.69) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
What centering does Iron Man #87 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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.
Is your Marvel card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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