Is Nolan Ryan #34 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1994 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 sells for $672 against $2.23 raw: a $670 spread, 301× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.36) 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)
- $2.23
- PSA 10
- $672
- PSA 9
- $31.36
- Gem premium
- 301×
- 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 | $672 | +$645 | +$620 | +$520 |
| PSA 9 | $31.36 | +$4.13 | −$20.87 | −$121 |
| PSA 8 | $18.79 | −$8.44 | −$33.44 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $2.23 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% | $192 | +$139 |
| 50% | $352 | +$299 |
| 75% | $512 | +$460 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $874 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $672 | −$202 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $490 | −$384 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $403 | −$471 | 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 | $672 | $403 | $874 | $490 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $43.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $31.36 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $18.79 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $2.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Nolan Ryan #34 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #34 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 sells for $672 against $2.23 raw: a $670 spread, 301× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.36) 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 #34 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #34 (Baseball Cards 1994 Topps) sells for about $672 versus $2.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 301× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #34?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $874, ahead of PSA 10 at $672. 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 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.36).
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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