PSA Drops Standard Grading Price To $100, Is It Worth The Premium?
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PSA recently announced that its Standard grading service would reopen to collectors, at a new price point of $100 per card.
Recall that PSA shut down everything aside from its premium grading services in early 2021. They have not been able to keep up with the steep increase in grading demand.
The latest changes come amidst many changes at PSA.
Starting with the acquisition of its parent Collectors Universe, followed by the departure of CEO Joe Orlando and replacement by Nat Turner.
PSA, as the most respected grader in the hobby, has had the ability to dictate grading prices, even at a massive premium to other competitors.
When PSA was unable to keep up with demand, the simple solution of shutting down low-cost grading was a no-brainer.
With the reopening of their Standard level service, collectors can now pay $100 to have a card graded up to a $1499 declared value.
While this might seem like a bargain to some, it is still a far cry from the old days of $20 card grading
PSA has also reopened access to its PSA Collectors Club. The cost is $99 a year.
PSA says that there will be regular ‘Submission Events’, where collectors can sub cards at an Economy level for $50 per card (up to a $999 declared value).
The PSA Collectors Club is $99 a year and offers access to regular Submission specials.
It does appear that PSA (and Nat Turner) are spending a good deal of resources and time to create a more manageable process. The Collector’s Club language on the site provides more details on what they are doing from an operational perspective:
PSA created a new submission management process to help expedite the return of service levels without adding to our backlog. This new technology will ensure we can continue to allocate at least 80% of our capacity to existing orders in the backlog, while also servicing a controlled amount of new orders from our community. These virtual queuing Submission Events will allow Collectors Club members to submit at high-demand service levels after winning the ability to submit in a randomized lottery.
Collectors that I’ve spoken with have been happy thus far with Standard turnaround times. Most have received their cards back within the stated time frame. Usually within 30-40 days.
Even with the price drop for PSA Standard Grading, $100 (plus all associated shipping and insurance fees) can be prohibitive for most cards.
Our Sports Card Grading Calculator is a great tool for anyone trying to decide.
For a card that’s worth $100 or even $200, it’s not worth it, given that it will cost you around $130 when it’s all said and done.
PSA knows this level of grading at $100 doesn’t leave much profit for card flippers.
They realize this price point will not lead to the same deluge in demand that crimpled their operations during the pandemic.
PSA does yet seem steadfast on getting grading prices back to more reasonable levels.
In a recent communication to collectors, they echoed this fact:
PSA continues to devote over 80% of our resources to processing the backlog. Due to continuous capacity expansion, we are now able to bring back the ‘Regular’ Service Level. With the return of Regular, PSA is taking another step towards bringing back lower priced service levels in 2022.
But they are also in this to make a profit. So, if pack breakers continue flooding them with demand, we will unfortunately never see any price adjustments lower.
If they can charge $100 and get as much demand as they did at $20 and $50 price levels, then why would they adjust lower?
For the good of the hobby? I doubt it.
Remember that SGC remains a good, lower-cost grading option (starting at $30 for base level submissions up to $1500).
PSA remains the leader as far as resale value goes, unfortunately, so that is something you also need to consider.
What are your thoughts?
Do you use the $100 Standard Grading service?
Or is it still way too high to consider?
Let me know in the comments section below.
collectors are their own worst enemies. i dont notice any difference on psa vrs sgc grades. but collectors will pay twice the price for psa even though the sgc card is exact in every way
I agree Leo. I send a lot of cards to SGC and have been quite happy. I think for collectors the difference is actually a good thing since it allows us to buy non PSA graded cards at a lower price!
Great article. I think the pricing will hurt your average collector who are collecting for the fun of it or to build a player/team set. Who wants to pay $50 to grade a $2 common card. I thought it was ridiculous to pay $15 to grade a common card before it blew up. I think PSA should change their pricing to reflect the value of the card. That is, the grading cost should reflect the value of the card. Ask for $50 to grade a rookie card, $40 for serial number cards up 25, $20 or less for common cards.
Can somebody please tell me why a card that has more value cost more to put that value there when you’re grading a card I thought you were grading the card on the edges the surface the corners and Centering. That tells me right from the get go that it’s just a money grab To all those people out there that get their cards graded you’re being taken for a fool . What is really happening and I’m surprise nobody has mentioned it before hand is there grading the players card not the card itself that’s why they feel they can charge you more for a popular card with value than one with less value. If you ask me the card should be graded on the card not who’s on the card.
I can only hope PSA is paying their graders in excess of $100,000 a year. Talk about obscene price gauging. Their new price structure is flat out laughable. I’m absolutely disgusted with PSA. What a pathetic company and a flat-out joke. I will never use PSA again or even look at their website in the future. I’d rather buy a new TV than get one card graded. Give me a freakin break.
Once again price gouging destroys the joy of being a hobby collector. An PSA grader is no more qualified than an SGc grade. When your graders are under such pressure to crank out cards their effeciency wavers. Alan Rosen predicted this. My 10.00 common card is not worth 110.00 but yet we are just worried about star or rare cards. Lets get the hobby back in line.
$100 a card is beyond ridiculous. What typical private collector that does it for the enjoyment can afford that? The cost to grade 3 cards went from $60 to $300. $60 is a manageable hobby price. $300 is the price of a utility payment. Their price hikes make current gas prices look sane.
Ive always thought that if you grade a card that is worth say 30.00 tack on the cost of grading say 50.00 or one hundred dollars that value of said card should be worth 80.00 or 130 dollars….let the negotiating begin. Just saying
Psa is a joke they took thier grading of coins and crossed it over to cards there is no reason to magnify a card 8 times to see defects in it if you put anything under 8 times magnification u will find flaws in it. You have never herd or will never hear anyone say hay let's go look at my card collection don't forget you magnifying glass it just dosent happen