1977 Topps Nolan Ryan PSA 9

Yankees70 · February 18, 2026 5:01PM

I just noticed this card is on EBAY and the high bid is currently $2,883. This appears to be way over recent comps.
The card also appears to be a very weak 9. I'm curious if I'm missing some recent comps that would explain the price.

tsalems1 · February 18, 2026 5:15PM

Look who the seller is. That may be the problem right there

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 18, 2026 5:31PM

PSA 6

Chaz

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 18, 2026 5:32PM

Horrible failure to allow this POS into the marketplace as a 9.

CW · February 18, 2026 7:50PM

Funny (but not so funny) story regarding this card. Many years ago, probably in the mid-2000s, I set a snipe on a PSA 9 1977 Topps Nolan Ryan. It may have even been a Probstein auction.

Back then this was typically a $300 card, so I set a snipe for $375 -- or so I thought. I actually fat-fingered the snipe entry and mistakenly set it at $1375. Well, someone else had the same idea and imagine my surprise when I got the email that I had won the auction for about $1,250!

I sent an email to the seller explaining the situation, that it was an honest mistake. I was prepared to pay the bill, but he understood the situation and he let me off the hook and said he'd relist the card. I recall posting about it here years ago, maybe in a "hobby mistakes" thread.

Had I completed the sale back then, the crazy part is I could likely sell it for a profit today.

I never did pick up a high grade 1977 Topps Nolan Ryan.

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 18, 2026 8:02PM

@CW said:
Funny (but not so funny) story regarding this card. Many years ago, probably in the mid-2000s, I set a snipe on a PSA 9 1977 Topps Nolan Ryan. It may have even been a Probstein auction.

Back then this was typically a $300 card, so I set a snipe for $375 -- or so I thought. I actually fat-fingered the snipe entry and mistakenly set it at $1375. Well, someone else had the same idea and imagine my surprise when I got the email that I had won the auction for about $1,250!

I sent an email to the seller explaining the situation, that it was an honest mistake. I was prepared to pay the bill, but he understood the situation and he let me off the hook and said he'd relist the card. I recall posting about it here years ago, maybe in a "hobby mistakes" thread.

Had I completed the sale back then, the crazy part is I could likely sell it for a profit today.

I never did pick up a high grade 1977 Topps Nolan Ryan.

I like your story and the term "fat-fingered". I had a few of those when I overindulged sometimes at the sushi bar then came home to do late night bidding. I still have a few in my collection that seemingly were overpayed then only to become nice additions as of today in spite of my enthusiasm. I wish I'd fat-fingered more back then.

olb31 · February 19, 2026 7:04AM

looks more like a 7. some type of cardboard issue above his head, slanted centering, I could see an 8 maybe.

Yankees70 · February 19, 2026 11:47AM

Agree so why did it sell for 2883 when recent legit 9's sold for much less.

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 19, 2026 12:15PM

@Yankees70 said:
Agree so why did it sell for 2883 when recent legit 9's sold for much less.

It was being artificially inflated. Get it now?

Additionally, I'd guess it's a better hunch than not, that the card will be up for auction again very soon, because the "winner" has no intention of paying for it.

Yankees70 · February 19, 2026 12:48PM

I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 19, 2026 1:11PM

@Yankees70 said:
I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

I'm speculating. We've seen this kind of stuff happen in the past time after time after time. Never changes. If I'm wrong, I hardly care. The reputation of the seller is solid. If ya know what I mean.

80sOPC · February 19, 2026 1:15PM

Consignors buy back their cards all the time. The way this hustle works is you hit a new high via auction then put this or other copies you own at a comp BIN, that gets bought or you buy it, and voila, we have an new ATH.

Seller is really only out their consignment fees with big Rick. This was the PWCC model when cards were getting pumped back then, pattern was clear as day.

Not saying thats what happened here but for guys with multiple copies, you pay the consignment fees once and make 2x on your copies. Free money because collectors are morons and pile in when a nee ath is hit.

Yankees70 · February 19, 2026 1:36PM

@ElMagoStrikeZone said:

@Yankees70 said:
I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

I'm speculating. We've seen this kind of stuff happen in the past time after time after time. Never changes. If I'm wrong, I hardly care. The reputation of the seller is solid. If ya know what I mean.

ok point taken. You made some good comments, thank you.

Yankees70 · February 19, 2026 1:38PM

@80sOPC said:
Consignors buy back their cards all the time. The way this hustle works is you hit a new high via auction then put this or other copies you own at a comp BIN, that gets bought or you buy it, and voila, we have an new ATH.

Seller is really only out their consignment fees with big Rick. This was the PWCC model when cards were getting pumped back then, pattern was clear as day.

Not saying thats what happened here but for guys with multiple copies, you pay the consignment fees once and make 2x on your copies. Free money because collectors are morons and pile in when a nee ath is hit.

Thanks for explaining. I was out of the hobby when PWCC pulled their scams and learning from you guys is the main reason why I read and post here.

Chicago1976 · February 19, 2026 2:01PM

@olb31 said:
looks more like a 7. some type of cardboard issue above his head, slanted centering, I could see an 8 maybe.

I also noticed the top two corners have issues, the right border is rough, a print line near the "A" in Angels, and a print dot inside the "G". A red print line running from his sideburn the California logo. Top to bottom centering looks off too. Ugh.

Compton57 · February 19, 2026 2:06PM

@Yankees70 said:
I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

There was a PSA 9 that sold a couple weeks ago on Heritage for $2,562 but that was not a 9 in my opinion either. Heritage described it as “perfect centering” even though it looked 65/35 to me.

The thing that surprised me was the Cert #. It’s 140478697. I’m not an expert on the Cert #’s but I believe that Cert # (with an extra digit and led by “1”) is a newly graded card. I’ve Gotten a few graded cards back over the past several months & they all had that extra digit starting with “1” & went from 117….. to 119…. To the 3rd batch being 120….

So to state the obvious— I have several PSA 7’s that were just graded that look nicer than that card. so it’s shocking to me that, with the much stricter grading standards, that card is a 9.

ElMagoStrikeZone · February 19, 2026 2:15PM

@Compton57 said:

So to state the obvious— I have several PSA 7’s that were just graded that look nicer than that card. so it’s shocking to me that, with the much stricter grading standards, that card is a 9.

It's very recent. I don't blame you for being shocked. If you knew what some here know, you'd be much less shocked and instead just plain old disgusted.

Compton57 · February 19, 2026 2:50PM

@ElMagoStrikeZone said:

@Compton57 said:

So to state the obvious— I have several PSA 7’s that were just graded that look nicer than that card. so it’s shocking to me that, with the much stricter grading standards, that card is a 9.

It's very recent. I don't blame you for being shocked. If you knew what some here know, you'd be much less shocked and instead just plain old disgusted.

Thanks. Thats what I figured. I’ve noticed all the mid-70’s PSA 9 Ryan’s have jumped anywhere from 20-40% over the same time last year. Re: the 1977 Ryan, I bid on a 1977 PSA 8.5 on E-bay just a few months ago that ended up selling for $400 & I’d argue was in better condition than the last couple PSA 9’a that sold for 500-600% more.

1982FBWaxMemories · February 20, 2026 5:22AM

@Compton57 said:

@Yankees70 said:
I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

There was a PSA 9 that sold a couple weeks ago on Heritage for $2,562 but that was not a 9 in my opinion either. Heritage described it as “perfect centering” even though it looked 65/35 to me.

>

So to state the obvious— I have several PSA 7’s that were just graded that look nicer than that card. so it’s shocking to me that, with the much stricter grading standards, that card is a 9.

See 1st line in my signature

olb31 · February 20, 2026 10:59AM

@Compton57 said:

@Yankees70 said:
I considered this but do we know for sure that the auction was bogus? My buddy contacted the seller to see if the card was paid for as he pretended to have an interest in the card and was told it was.

I could not find any recent comps that were comparable but its possible I missed some. I checked on 130 point, EBAY, and card ladder.

There was a PSA 9 that sold a couple weeks ago on Heritage for $2,562 but that was not a 9 in my opinion either. Heritage described it as “perfect centering” even though it looked 65/35 to me.

The thing that surprised me was the Cert #. It’s 140478697. I’m not an expert on the Cert #’s but I believe that Cert # (with an extra digit and led by “1”) is a newly graded card. I’ve Gotten a few graded cards back over the past several months & they all had that extra digit starting with “1” & went from 117….. to 119…. To the 3rd batch being 120….

So to state the obvious— I have several PSA 7’s that were just graded that look nicer than that card. so it’s shocking to me that, with the much stricter grading standards, that card is a 9.

matters who you are maybe?

smallstocks · February 20, 2026 10:59AM

FWIW, a PSA 9 sold for $2,079 on Jan. 31 on the Fanatics website and another for $2,562 in Heritage Auctions on the same day.

1977 Topps Nolan Ryan PSA 9

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