Is Nolan Ryan #15 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Topps All Star Glossy Set of 40 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #15 sells for $300 against $4.40 raw: a $296 spread, 68× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.63) 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)
- $4.40
- PSA 10
- $300
- PSA 9
- $33.63
- Gem premium
- 68×
- 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 | $300 | +$271 | +$246 | +$146 |
| PSA 9 | $33.63 | +$4.23 | −$20.77 | −$121 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$14.41 | −$39.41 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $4.40 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% | $100 | +$45.82 |
| 50% | $167 | +$112 |
| 75% | $233 | +$179 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $390 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $300 | −$90.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $180 | −$210 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $180 | −$210 | 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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Other 1984 Topps All Star Glossy Set of 40 cards worth checking
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Grading Nolan Ryan #15 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #15 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #15 sells for $300 against $4.40 raw: a $296 spread, 68× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.63) 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 Nolan Ryan #15 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #15 (Baseball Cards 1984 Topps All Star Glossy Set of 40) sells for about $300 versus $4.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 68× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #15?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $390, ahead of PSA 10 at $300. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #15 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 Nolan Ryan #15 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #15 breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.63).
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