Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $173 against $5.43 raw: a $167 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.00) 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)
- $5.43
- PSA 10
- $173
- PSA 9
- $42.00
- Gem premium
- 32×
- As of
- Oct 25, 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 | $173 | +$142 | +$117 | +$17.07 |
| PSA 9 | $42.00 | +$11.57 | −$13.43 | −$113 |
| PSA 8 | $13.38 | −$17.05 | −$42.05 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $5.43 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% | $74.63 | +$19.19 |
| 50% | $107 | +$51.82 |
| 75% | $140 | +$84.44 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $224 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $173 | −$51.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $104 | −$120 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.00 | −$155 | 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 #1 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $173 against $5.43 raw: a $167 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.00) 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 #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 (Baseball Cards 1990 O Pee Chee) sells for about $173 versus $5.43 for a raw near-mint copy — a 32× premium as of Oct 25, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $224, ahead of PSA 10 at $173. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #1 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #1 breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.00).
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