Is Nolan Ryan #89 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Retro · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #89 sells for $74.23 against $2.08 raw: a $72.15 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.94) 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)
- $2.08
- PSA 10
- $74.23
- PSA 9
- $17.94
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $74.23 | +$47.15 | +$22.15 | −$77.85 |
| PSA 9 | $17.94 | −$9.14 | −$34.14 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$17.09 | −$42.09 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.08 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% | $32.01 | −$20.07 |
| 50% | $46.09 | −$5.99 |
| 75% | $60.16 | +$8.08 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 61%. 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 | $97.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $74.23 | −$22.77 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$52.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$52.00 | 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.
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Other 1999 Upper Deck Retro cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Nolan Ryan #89 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #89 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #89 sells for $74.23 against $2.08 raw: a $72.15 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.94) 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 #89 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan #89 (Baseball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Retro) sells for about $74.23 versus $2.08 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan #89?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $97.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $74.23. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan #89 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 #89 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan #89 breaks even when it gems about 61% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.94).
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