Is Nolan Ryan #29 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Big · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 69× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #29 sells for $123 against $1.77 raw: a $121 spread, 69× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.32) 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)
- $1.77
- PSA 10
- $123
- PSA 9
- $22.32
- Gem premium
- 69×
- 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 | $123 | +$95.73 | +$70.73 | −$29.27 |
| PSA 9 | $22.32 | −$4.45 | −$29.45 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $17.50 | −$9.27 | −$34.27 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.77 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% | $47.37 | −$4.41 |
| 50% | $72.41 | +$20.64 |
| 75% | $97.45 | +$45.69 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 | $159 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $123 | −$36.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $74.00 | −$85.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $58.85 | −$100 | 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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Grading Nolan Ryan #29 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #29 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #29 sells for $123 against $1.77 raw: a $121 spread, 69× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.32) 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 Nolan Ryan #29 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #29 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Big) sells for about $123 versus $1.77 for a raw near-mint copy — a 69× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #29?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $159, ahead of PSA 10 at $123. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #29 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 #29 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #29 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.32).
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