How Long Does It Take For PSA To Grade Your Cards

Deciding on if you should go with PSA to grade your cards depends largely on how quick their turnaround time is and how their customer experience is, we go in-depth on all of it.

A common question every collector has is, ‘How long does it take to get a card graded right now?’ while it depends mainly on the grading company, we experimented to help answer this question. 

Typically, a bulk submission to PSA will take 60 days turnaround; however, depending on overall demand and supply, it can be earlier. Our submission took far less, and there’s been an increase in transparency of where your cards are in their journey. 

We submitted our cards to PSA using the value option to see how long it would take for PSA to grade and ship back our cards. Here’s how it went for us, and we hope this helps you when deciding on where to send your cards: 

PSA Turnaround Times Are Faster Than Ever Before 

On New Year’s, the last day of 2022, PSA offered a special offer to PSA subscription holders where if you submit ten cards at the minimum, you can only pay $15 per card to get graded. In doing so, we decided to buy a subscription to the PSA club for this exclusive offer and become a member. Our subscription was for 365 days, but our first order shipped after 317 days. 

It took about 48 days for our PSA journey to finish and to have our cards in our hands. PSA has been working tirelessly to speed up turnaround time by hiring more employees to grade and improving processes to handle high-demand surges. 

How The PSA Grading Journey Works 

There are seven different milestones a raw card goes through before it’s back in your hand. PSA calls it their card journey and outlines what it looks like in their dashboard when submitting an order. 

We submitted our order on New Year’s Eve 2022 and packaged our submission to ship out on January 3rd, 2023, Wednesday. Unfortunately, it took a few days to package the cards correctly, and PSA told us that as long as the cards arrived by January 31st, we wouldn’t lose out on the special offer and have to resubmit the order. 

Once the PSA order was shipped out, it arrived on January 9th, 2023, and we received an email confirming our order arrived safely. After it arrived, their PSA order started to go through the processing process, which officially started on January 13th, 2023. 

PSA Costs: How They Work & Avoid overpaying

PSA is constantly offering special bulk prices to allow the collector to submit a large number of cards at a relatively low price. 

For example, in 2020, prices for grading cards were between $45 to $55 per card. However, the cost has been far less, from $15 to $18 a card. 

You can expect your first bulk order submission to cost between $150 to $250 because they charge for insurance to ensure your packages arrive safely. However, it’s important to note that you’ll have to pay for shipping to and from, so it’s sometimes twice as much. 

For example, it can cost $35 for insured shipping to the grading facility and another $35 for insured shipping back to your home address. 

In total, it can be $70 in shipping. Add that to whatever number of cards you submit. For example, if you submit ten cards (at $15 per card), it will be $150 plus $70, adding to $220. You only need to sell each card at over $20, and you’ll make a profit. Or better yet, you can sell one card for $400 and cover the cost of the rest of the lot. 

Why PSA is the Best Company for Grading Card Services

Here’s a few reasons why PSA should grade your cards if you are new to the hobby: 

1. High credibility. 

Card collectors understand that cards in complex cases with grades from PSA sell faster than SCG cards. In addition, it’s highly recognizable and desirable, mainly due to the effectiveness of its branding over the years. They’ve been in business for a long time, and collectors have become familiar with PSA-graded cards being worth more than other graded cards. 

2. Industry Strand. 

PSA became the best-in-class example of how to grade cards, and all the other companies began copying them. However, while others offer customizable labels, PSA cards would only be the same if they had the red label they currently use.

Also, other companies use different scaling systems to rank the condition of the cards, and unfortunately, that causes more trouble because you have to resubmit cards when that system changes. 

However, PSA has kept it consistent for years and remains simple to understand. Zero to 10, with 10 being the highest score you can get. She was also known as a GEM. 

5 Steps to Get Your PSA Cards Sent for Grading

1. Choose the cards you want to grade.

2. Review PSA’s grading standards.

• Go to PSA and grab the package instructions and ‘package slip.’ Always remember to include the packing slip in the box. 

3. Prepare and package your cards securely.

• • Use card saver I to sandwich the card using rubber bands. 
  • Get bubble wrap and a cardboard box (8 x 6 x 6) to package securely. 
  • Seal shut using clear packaging tape (security tape if possible)
  • Add a shipping label to the side of the box. 
  • Schedule USPS pickup after purchasing the label through Shipstation or Pirateship. 
  • Add ’60 days’ or the number of days of service level to the box. 
  • Submit your order and pay the fee.
  • Track the progress of your order and receive your graded cards.

Why You Should Submit Your Cards To PSA

PSA’s turnaround times for grading cards are faster than ever before, and they have been working to improve their processes to handle high demand. In an experiment, PSA took around 48 days to grade and ship back a card submission. 

PSA has a seven-step card journey process for grading, and its grading standards are well-established and consistent. Also, PSA is considered the best company for grading card services due to its high credibility and industry standards. 

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