Is Nolan Ryan #220 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1973 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Nolan Ryan #220 sells for $3,819 against $27.79 raw: a $3,791 spread, 137× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,472) 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)
- $27.79
- Grade 9.5
- $3,819
- PSA 9
- $3,472
- Gem premium
- 137×
- 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 | $3,819 | +$3,766 | +$3,741 | +$3,641 |
| PSA 9 | $3,472 | +$3,419 | +$3,394 | +$3,294 |
| PSA 8 | $1,073 | +$1,021 | +$996 | +$896 |
Net = sale price − $27.79 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% | $3,559 | +$3,481 |
| 50% | $3,645 | +$3,568 |
| 75% | $3,732 | +$3,654 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Nolan Ryan #220 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #220 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Nolan Ryan #220 sells for $3,819 against $27.79 raw: a $3,791 spread, 137× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,472) 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.
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