Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 73× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $91.22 against $1.25 raw: a $89.97 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.93) 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
- $91.22
- PSA 9
- $23.93
- Gem premium
- 73×
- 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 | $91.22 | +$64.97 | +$39.97 | −$60.03 |
| PSA 9 | $23.93 | −$2.32 | −$27.32 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $12.82 | −$13.43 | −$38.43 | −$138 |
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% | $40.75 | −$10.50 |
| 50% | $57.58 | +$6.33 |
| 75% | $74.40 | +$23.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $350 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $91.22 | −$259 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $74.99 | −$275 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $26.00 | −$324 | 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 | $91.22 | $26.00 | $350 | $74.99 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $30.10 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.93 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.82 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.41 |
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 #1 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $91.22 against $1.25 raw: a $89.97 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.93) 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 #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 (Baseball Cards 1990 Topps) sells for about $91.22 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 73× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $350, ahead of PSA 10 at $91.22. 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 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.93).
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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