Is Nolan Ryan #21 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 32× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #21 sells for $59.01 against $1.84 raw: a $57.17 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.28) 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)
- $1.84
- PSA 10
- $59.01
- PSA 9
- $18.28
- Gem premium
- 32×
- 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 | $59.01 | +$32.17 | +$7.17 | −$92.83 |
| PSA 9 | $18.28 | −$8.56 | −$33.56 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $9.88 | −$16.96 | −$41.96 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.84 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% | $28.46 | −$23.38 |
| 50% | $38.64 | −$13.20 |
| 75% | $48.83 | −$3.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 82%. 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 | $77.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.01 | −$17.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $39.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.99 | −$42.01 | 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 | $59.01 | $39.00 | $77.00 | $34.99 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.45 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $18.28 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.88 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.47 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Nolan Ryan #21 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #21 sells for $59.01 against $1.84 raw: a $57.17 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.28) 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 #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #21 (Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf) sells for about $59.01 versus $1.84 for a raw near-mint copy — a 32× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $77.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.01. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #21 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 #21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #21 breaks even when it gems about 82% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.28).
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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