Is Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Hostess · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 sells for $1,713 against $11.99 raw: a $1,701 spread, 143× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($147) 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): $11.99
PSA 10: $1,713
PSA 9: $147
Gem premium: 143×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$1,713	+$1,676	+$1,651	+$1,551
PSA 9	$147	+$110	+$84.76	−$15.24
PSA 8	$79.15	+$42.16	+$17.16	−$82.84

Net = sale price − $11.99 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?

Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$538	+$476
50%	$930	+$868
75%	$1,321	+$1,259

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 →

Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$2,227	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$1,713	−$514	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$1,028	−$1,199	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$1,028	−$1,199	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 →

Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$1,713	$1,028	$2,227	$1,028	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$161
9	—	—	—	—	$147
8	—	—	—	—	$79.15

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1979 Hostess cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Don Baylor [Hand Cut] #63

Raw $1.04PSA 10 $512

Larry Bowa [Hand Cut] #134

Raw $1.95PSA 10 $400

Phil Garner [Hand Cut] #75

Raw $1.99PSA 10 $400

Steve Garvey [Hand Cut] #8

Raw $2.99PSA 10 $590

Keith Hernandez [Hand Cut] #108

Raw $2.93PSA 10 $500

Lou Whitaker [Hand Cut] #117

Raw $2.79PSA 10 $306

Grading Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 — FAQ

Is Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 (Baseball Cards 1979 Hostess) sells for about $1,713 versus $11.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 143× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,227, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,713. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 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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