Is Nolan Ryan #28 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Topps Super · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Nolan Ryan #28 sells for $529 against $3.87 raw: a $525 spread, 137× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($481) 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)
- $3.87
- Grade 9.5
- $529
- PSA 9
- $481
- Gem premium
- 137×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $529 | +$500 | +$475 | +$375 |
| PSA 9 | $481 | +$452 | +$427 | +$327 |
| PSA 8 | $50.00 | +$21.13 | −$3.87 | −$104 |
Net = sale price − $3.87 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% | $493 | +$439 |
| 50% | $505 | +$451 |
| 75% | $517 | +$463 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Nolan Ryan #28 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan #28 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Nolan Ryan #28 sells for $529 against $3.87 raw: a $525 spread, 137× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($481) 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.
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