PSA grading
I would like to grade a bunch of cards at PSA for the first time. Looking for some experiences from others in this community
  • Directly at PSA or via middleman (which middleman/country)
  • Average cost per card (depending on value ofcourse)
  • Waiting time
  • etc
Looking forward to your responses 😃
2
11 comments
• Oct '23 (edited)
First, decide which cards you want to grade and what grades you would like them to get, then inspect the cards properly with good lighting and a magnifying glass, you can for example use a diamond magnifying glass - they are pretty cheap on Amazon.
Be honest with yourself and look for any damages that might give you a lower grade than what you would like. When you find any damage decide whether it's still financially interesting to grade the card or to sell it raw (or keep it) cause the grade won't add much value. Also, look at centering (useful post here). Here's a guide from PSA on what centering/damages they won't accept per specific grade. Discard the cards that are not worth grading for this submission, and take a chance on the cards that you think will get a good grade that you will be happy with.
There is a misconception that you need to pay import taxes on your cards when PSA ships them back to you. I have contacted multiple middleman services in the UK, Belgium, and The Netherlands to ask what the deal is with import taxes. They all told me this is not correct, as the cards are already yours. Grading is seen under the same umbrella as sending in a product for repair. Having that said, customs can still mess this up and charge you import taxes even though they shouldn't, and then you need to convince them they are wrong which is a hassle. This is why some people use a middleman service (besides the other perks). I heard about this company in The Netherlands, they accept PSA submissions and will handle everything for you. I have not used them myself yet so I cannot speak from personal experience, but I will use them in the future as they look like a reputable company.
The grading cost per card and waiting time are listed on the PSA website. For the lowest price, you need to be a member of the Collector's Club which costs $99 a year. Middleman services are usually a member and if you grade via them, you can use their membership, but also they usually charge a fee for their service so make sure to ask the middleman service for the exact grading prices and compare them to PSA to see if you are getting a good deal. Middleman services usually send in cards every X weeks/months depending on how many cards they submit for their clients. Depending on their window of submission you might get lucky and they'll ship fast after handing over your cards, if you're unlucky you need to wait a few weeks before they ship to PSA and your grading waiting time starts.
A lot of people use top loaders to store their cards, but PSA doesn't want you to send them cards in a top loader (more info here and here). Instead, they want you to use a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid card saver (check out my video here). They might still accept your cards if sent in a top loader anyway, or they might decline. Also do not place labels, stickers, or write on the outside of semi-rigid card savers. Also make sure to read any additional instructions if using a middleman service, like how to order the cards when sending them in.
When submitting cards (to PSA directly or via a middleman) during your order you need to declare the value that the card will have after it's graded by PSA with the grade you think it will get. This is hard to do, so just make a good estimate, you can use pricecharting.com for this as I assume PSA will look at USA prices (note that this is an assumption of mine but I think it makes sense cause they are a US company). If they grade a card higher than you expected you might need to pay an additional fee before they ship the cards back cause the declared value falls out of the bracket you estimated it would fall in.
Whether to ship directly or to use a middleman service is your own choice. Sending cards in directly can give you faster turnaround time and a better price, but also more risk in terms of shipping, insuring the shipment, and possible wrong import taxes.
4
• Nov '23
Nice summary and good tips!
1
• Oct '23
Thanks!! That's an amazing reply. Didn't knew that toploaders are actually discouraged. I also found the store you mentioned. I will soon give it a first try and report back my experience!
1
• Nov '23
You're very welcome Joost. It's always good to ask questions like these! Great, I'm curious about your experience with them, would be great if you can share indeed. If they are a good PSA option, I can try contact them at some point to see if I can arrange some sort of discount for members of this community
1
• Nov '23
Reporting back on my experience with Dave & Adam's Card World. Great service overall! I got 4 pikachu Grey Felt Hat promo's graded and got back two 10's and two 9's. I've sent my cards to their store on the 1st of November and i just received back the graded cards. Can recommend!
1
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• Nov '23
There are several middleman to help you with this for not a big fee. For example: flash-cards (from belgium) is an official PSA partner and you can send in bulk (up to 499 dollar value) via them starting from 25 euro's a card.
1
• Nov '23 (edited)
I had not heard of them but they look like a reputable company. Though having a quick look at their prices it seems like they are way more expensive? Dacardworld.eu asks €20.57 for cards with value up to €499 and flash-cards asks €44,95 for cards with value up to €499. Or am I seeing this wrong?
0
• Nov '23
they have promo prices all the time. When they have a stand on a big exo, sometimes bulk is even cheaper than 25 and regular around 25
1
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Joost K
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PSA grading
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