Is Nolan Ryan #661 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 34× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #661 sells for $47.49 against $1.40 raw: a $46.09 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.21) 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)
- $1.40
- PSA 10
- $47.49
- PSA 9
- $12.21
- Gem premium
- 34×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $47.49 | +$21.09 | −$3.91 | −$104 |
| PSA 9 | $12.21 | −$14.19 | −$39.19 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $5.57 | −$20.83 | −$45.83 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.40 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% | $21.03 | −$30.37 |
| 50% | $29.85 | −$21.55 |
| 75% | $38.67 | −$12.73 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $62.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $47.49 | −$14.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $28.00 | −$34.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $28.00 | −$34.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $47.49 | $28.00 | $62.00 | $28.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $26.83 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.21 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.57 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $4.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Nolan Ryan #661 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #661 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #661 sells for $47.49 against $1.40 raw: a $46.09 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.21) 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 #661 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #661 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $47.49 versus $1.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 34× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #661?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $62.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $47.49. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #661 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.
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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