2 cards I'm wanting-your thoughts
 

Have had a long time interest in the Nolan Ryan Topps 177 rookie card and the 1993 Jeter rookie foil cards.
If I buy graded, how high up would you go to have a nice card and not break the bank? Not for investment, but I see the Ryan card as a gainer and the Jeter could be.
Thanks.

It depends how big the bank is I suppose. But those are common cards, check out some completed auctions on ebay and that should give you a good idea what they sell for.

Everyone has their own definition of a nice card. With Jeter, you could get a very cheap 6 with some corner wear around for much less than an 8 or 9. You could get a VG Nolan Ryan with light creasing you can only detect holding the card at an angle and still look EX-MT or better otherwise. Get what looks good to you.

There is a big jump on the jeter from 8 to 9, so for value I'd pick up an 8. For the Ryan the sweet spot would be a 7 or 8 depending on your budget. If you want to stay under a grand you could find a nice 6.

If I stand corrected, that it is better to buy a BVG Jeter than a PSA. I remember reading somewhere that PSA had the tendacy to view them as short?????

When you say "better" to get BGS cards of the 1993 SP Foil Jeter, that's because they will grade the cards cut short from the factory, while PSA will normally send them back MINSIZREQ (not a full 2.5x3.5 card). So yes, a BGS 8 will cost significantly less than a PSA 8.

*double post*

I agree with Jesse that if you want quality, and don't want to break the bank on the Jeter, go for a nice PSA 8. If you can search for one at the National, it helps to hold one of these in person so you can look for any surface flaws (they scratch very easily, and sometimes it's hard to see these in a scan. Sometimes scratches are also OVERemphasized in a scan, so your mileage may vary).

For the Ryan, you could likely find a nice PSA 6 that looks really nice in hand, but doesn't break the bank, so to speak. The nice thing about the '68 issue is the burlap sack pattern on the front has a tendency to hide corner wear. If you want a challenge, try to find a nice PSA 5 or 6 with near perfect centering on the front. Not easy to find.

Good luck! Cool cards to have on your list.

The opposite is true. It's better to buy a PSA graded Jeter. If you can't get psa to grade your raw jeter than its best to give BGS a try.