Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $320 against $9.25 raw: a $311 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.47) 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)
- $9.25
- PSA 10
- $320
- PSA 9
- $31.47
- Gem premium
- 35×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $320 | +$286 | +$261 | +$161 |
| PSA 9 | $31.47 | −$2.78 | −$27.78 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $17.50 | −$16.75 | −$41.75 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $9.25 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% | $104 | +$44.42 |
| 50% | $176 | +$117 |
| 75% | $248 | +$189 |
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 | $416 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $320 | −$95.73 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $192 | −$224 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $192 | −$224 | 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 $320 against $9.25 raw: a $311 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.47) 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 1991 O Pee Chee) sells for about $320 versus $9.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $416, ahead of PSA 10 at $320. 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 $31.47).
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