Is Nolan Ryan #423 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1993 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 140× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #423 sells for $261 against $1.86 raw: a $259 spread, 140× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.18) 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)
- $1.86
- PSA 10
- $261
- PSA 9
- $22.18
- Gem premium
- 140×
- As of
- Oct 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 | $261 | +$234 | +$209 | +$109 |
| PSA 9 | $22.18 | −$4.68 | −$29.68 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $7.28 | −$19.58 | −$44.58 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.86 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% | $81.83 | +$29.97 |
| 50% | $141 | +$89.62 |
| 75% | $201 | +$149 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $269 | −$80.52 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $162 | −$188 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $17.16 | −$333 | 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 #423 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #423 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #423 sells for $261 against $1.86 raw: a $259 spread, 140× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.18) 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 #423 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #423 (Baseball Cards 1993 Donruss) sells for about $261 versus $1.86 for a raw near-mint copy — a 140× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #423?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $350, ahead of PSA 10 at $269. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #423 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 #423 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #423 breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.18).
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