Is Nolan Ryan #34 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 54× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 sells for $72.71 against $1.34 raw: a $71.37 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.48) 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)
- $1.34
- PSA 10
- $72.71
- PSA 9
- $16.48
- Gem premium
- 54×
- 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 | $72.71 | +$46.37 | +$21.37 | −$78.63 |
| PSA 9 | $16.48 | −$9.86 | −$34.86 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.35 | −$41.35 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.34 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% | $30.54 | −$20.80 |
| 50% | $44.59 | −$6.75 |
| 75% | $58.65 | +$7.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $95.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $72.71 | −$22.29 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $44.00 | −$51.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $27.00 | −$68.00 | 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 | $72.71 | $27.00 | $95.00 | $44.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $21.75 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.48 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $8.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1990 Upper Deck cards worth checking
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Grading Nolan Ryan #34 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #34 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 sells for $72.71 against $1.34 raw: a $71.37 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.48) 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 #34 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 (Baseball Cards 1990 Upper Deck) sells for about $72.71 versus $1.34 for a raw near-mint copy — a 54× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #34?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $95.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $72.71. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #34 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 #34 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #34 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.48).
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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