Is Nolan Ryan #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #1 sells for $187 against $1.50 raw: a $186 spread, 125× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $187
- PSA 9
- $39.00
- Gem premium
- 125×
- 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 | $187 | +$161 | +$136 | +$35.84 |
| PSA 9 | $39.00 | +$12.50 | −$12.50 | −$113 |
| PSA 8 | $11.83 | −$14.67 | −$39.67 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $76.09 | +$24.59 |
| 50% | $113 | +$61.67 |
| 75% | $150 | +$98.75 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $244 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $187 | −$56.66 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $112 | −$132 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $25.00 | −$219 | 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 | $187 | $25.00 | $244 | $112 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $50.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $39.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.83 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $8.47 |
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 $187 against $1.50 raw: a $186 spread, 125× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. 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 Topps) sells for about $187 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 125× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $244, ahead of PSA 10 at $187. 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 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.00).
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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