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1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie
I'm in the market for a Ryan rookie in PSA 8 and noticed this one for sale. I'm not looking for an OC. How was this graded an 8? Look at the corners on the front and back of the card.

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Good grief...<3 today
There is a psa-8 in a fanatics auction that opened for bidding on Thursday (7/9)...
https://www.fanaticscollect.com/premier/3f7d1f02-7a55-11f1-9fe5-0a488fc7b005/1968-topps-nolan-ryan-rookie-177-psa-8-nm-mt
Thank you. That's a really nice one. Any prediction what it will sell for? Does Fanatics add on 20% to the final bid if you win?
For all the times you’ve posted a bogus card and ask WHY? You should know the answer by now. There’s no way that card was originally placed in that holder. It’s a scammer attempting to scam, but you already knew didn’t you. If it stinks like rotten fish then it’s rotten fish.
I was at the Front Row card show in Pasadena a month or so ago and the Ryan rookies in PSA 8 were selling for 15K. I did not see any that sold as they were still for sale when I left the show. When I attended the Ontario show in I think February they were selling between 10-12 K. That's a huge price increase in 3-4 months.
A year from now 15K will look like a bargain for a sharp centered 8. Better hurry.
I have a $25K bet that once the check clears I’ll be bidding too.
Bet you won’t.
I bet my coworker you would bet that I wouldn’t and I won $20 fast cash. Thanks!
I have two (2) PSA-8 Nolan Ryan RCs which I have purchased this year. In March 2026, I paid $13,250 (Best Offer). In June 2026, I paid $22,500 (4 SC Showcase Auction).
$13,250
$22,500
buyer's Premium is 20% added onto bid...
Both are awesome - great buys. I have one so far and hope to get one more this year. Thanks for the info much appreciated.
Back in the 90's I had an 8, a 9 OC which was comparable to the 9, and a 9. I submitted all three to PSA via Sports Cards Plus which was located in Southern California. I think I paid about $100 each for them. I sold all three for less than 5k and it took me months to get that price.
Both look very nice. Do you agree with the grades? PSA has been very tough on 68s for a while.
Your Ryan PSA 8's look like 9's. Did you get a tough grader that day?
2025 SEC bowl record 4-10
SEC bowl record vs BIG TEN last two years 2-8
Both Ryan RCs are nice for the grade...but I agree with the grades. 94xxxxxx has better registration than 91xxxxxx. Three corners appear equal on the two Ryan RCs. 94xxxxxx has a better upper left corner than 91xxxxxx when viewed horizontally. So, the corners go to 94xxxxxx. Color and centering go to 91xxxxxx.
A question for the board. What is the correct measurement of the top-to-bottom centering on the '68 Ryan RC when viewed horizontally? I measured the bottom against the top of the lettering, "1968 Rookie Stars"
I would say the top of the circle which is a "line" higher than the lettering.
the one with the 4SC sticker looks really good. the top right corner (in portrait) is like the only nit at all and that's nothing really. I would keep that one forever.
The cards graded around this one... wow. some great items..
bgr...
What do you mean, "The cards graded around this one...wow. some great items.."? Thx for your response on centering!
I agree with your T/B centering theory, same for the 68 Bench RC, etc.
I looked at the cert and the numbers before and after. The next one was a Frank NNOF. Some Jordan RCs. Some bangers maybe in the same submission.
Yeah, that looks like a swapped card to me. No way that was graded an 8.
I wonder what the seller thinks about the card. They have a 3k+ 100% Positive feedback on eBay. At least if it sells they will have to send it in for Authenticity Guarantee -- which I hope would flag the card. Could be a good case study to see how well they actually check the cards they are authenticating (i.e. don't just look at the card case and consider it good to go). Speaking of the card case, there appears to be a lot of "white frosting" around the edges of the case...
That card has been cracked out and switched. The entire bottom of the slab shows the evidence with all that yummy frosting of the plastic.
Hence the common knowledge that no matter how shady a dealer might be, even with an obvious attempt to literally steal money from a potentially unsuspecting buyer, eBay will welcome the opportunity to profit from the scam.
Two things can be true. eBay also has no way of doing this accurately, at scale. PSA probably doesn’t either, but they are closer to the problem than eBay is. Why doesn’t PSA do more to protect their brand? Must not hurt it.
They could simply identify a card such as the one in the OP and have it removed. I assume that dealers will present crap like this to prove how ridiculous the grading thing can get and they’ve probably been bruised by a bad transaction in the past.
I don’t know how to do it if I’m the guy at eBay who has the authority to do it. How would you do it?
Threaten with legal action or violence. 😉