Is Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1996 Select Certified · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 52× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 sells for $65.69 against $1.27 raw: a $64.42 spread, 52× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.11) 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)
- $1.27
- PSA 10
- $65.69
- PSA 9
- $16.11
- Gem premium
- 52×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $65.69 | +$39.42 | +$14.42 | −$85.58 |
| PSA 9 | $16.11 | −$10.16 | −$35.16 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $7.93 | −$18.34 | −$43.34 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.27 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% | $28.50 | −$22.77 |
| 50% | $40.90 | −$10.37 |
| 75% | $53.30 | +$2.02 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 71%. 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 | $85.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $65.69 | −$19.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $39.00 | −$46.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $39.00 | −$46.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Select Certified cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mario Lemieux [Mirror Gold] #10 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uWMAAOSwJ7BjyG6C/s-l500.jpg)
![Wayne Gretzky [Mirror Gold] #4 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6TEAAOSw2A5kKcC5/s-l500.jpg)
![Jaromir Jagr [Mirror Gold] #43 1996 Select Certified card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JqcAAeSwENVqY-iv/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 — FAQ
Is Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 sells for $65.69 against $1.27 raw: a $64.42 spread, 52× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.11) 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 Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 (Hockey Cards 1996 Select Certified) sells for about $65.69 versus $1.27 for a raw near-mint copy — a 52× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Claude Lemieux [Red] #53?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $85.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $65.69. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 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 Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Claude Lemieux [Red] #53 breaks even when it gems about 71% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.11).
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