Is Nolan Ryan #166 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 171× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #166 sells for $214 against $1.25 raw: a $212 spread, 171× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.50) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $214
- PSA 9
- $24.50
- Gem premium
- 171×
- 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 | $214 | +$187 | +$162 | +$62.46 |
| PSA 9 | $24.50 | −$1.75 | −$26.75 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $9.75 | −$16.50 | −$41.50 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $71.80 | +$20.55 |
| 50% | $119 | +$67.86 |
| 75% | $166 | +$115 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $278 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $214 | −$64.29 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $128 | −$150 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $63.50 | −$215 | 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 | $214 | $128 | $278 | $63.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.75 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.75 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.58 |
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 #166 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #166 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #166 sells for $214 against $1.25 raw: a $212 spread, 171× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.50) 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 #166 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #166 (Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss) sells for about $214 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 171× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #166?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $278, ahead of PSA 10 at $214. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #166 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 #166 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #166 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.50).
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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