Is Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Donruss Milestones · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 sells for $74.87 against $14.23 raw: a $60.64 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.22) 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)
- $14.23
- PSA 10
- $74.87
- PSA 9
- $29.22
- Gem premium
- 5.3×
- 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 | $74.87 | +$35.64 | +$10.64 | −$89.36 |
| PSA 9 | $29.22 | −$10.01 | −$35.01 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $16.96 | −$22.27 | −$47.27 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $14.23 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% | $40.63 | −$23.60 |
| 50% | $52.05 | −$12.19 |
| 75% | $63.46 | −$0.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 77%. 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 | $74.87 | −$22.13 | 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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Full set checklist →Grading Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 — FAQ
Is Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 sells for $74.87 against $14.23 raw: a $60.64 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.22) 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 [Red Xplosion] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 (Baseball Cards 2024 Donruss Milestones) sells for about $74.87 versus $14.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.3× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $97.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $74.87. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #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 [Red Xplosion] #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nolan Ryan [Red Xplosion] #1 breaks even when it gems about 77% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.22).
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