Is Nolan Ryan #4 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #4 sells for $51.01 against $1.46 raw: a $49.55 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.69) 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)
- $1.46
- PSA 10
- $51.01
- PSA 9
- $15.69
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $51.01 | +$24.55 | −$0.45 | −$100 |
| PSA 9 | $15.69 | −$10.77 | −$35.77 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $10.00 | −$16.46 | −$41.46 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.46 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% | $24.52 | −$26.94 |
| 50% | $33.35 | −$18.11 |
| 75% | $42.18 | −$9.28 |
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 | $66.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.01 | −$14.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.56 | −$28.44 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$35.00 | 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 | $51.01 | $31.00 | $66.00 | $37.56 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.92 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $15.69 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.82 |
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 #4 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #4 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #4 sells for $51.01 against $1.46 raw: a $49.55 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.69) 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 #4 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #4 (Baseball Cards 1990 Topps) sells for about $51.01 versus $1.46 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #4?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $66.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.01. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #4 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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