Grader scorecard
KSA Certification
One of the oldest independents still running, and genuinely respected in Canadian hockey — but liquidity outside that niche is thin.
Our score43/100TierCNo. 7 on the scorecards
Resale standingRegionalTrusted in one market and discounted outside it.
Cheapest way inCA$15100+ cards
Typical turnaround40–75 daysReader reports →
BacklogNone published
Cert lookupPublicVerify a cert →
Owned byIndependentFounded 1996
The short version
2 min to read it all, belowWhy it scores 43
The full breakdownWhere the slab sells
- eBay Authenticity GuaranteeSearchable, not covered
- Major US auction housesNot standard inventory
- Public cert lookupYes
What to watch
Thirty years of operation is not the same as broad market recognition. Liquidity is concentrated almost entirely in Canadian hockey and vintage; outside that niche buyers are not searching KSA populations.
All known concernsPricing
Official price listPriced in Canadian dollars and built around volume, not speed. A single card costs CAD 30, falling to CAD 25 at 20 cards, CAD 20 at 50 and CAD 15 at 100 or more — so the cheapest per-card rate needs a CAD 1,500 submission.
| Tier | Price | Minimum | Quoted turnaround | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100+ cards | CA$15per card | 100 cards | 40–75 days | |
| 50+ cards | CA$20per card | 50 cards | 40–75 days | |
| 20+ cards | CA$25per card | 20 cards | 40–75 days | |
| Single card | CA$30per card | — | 40–75 days | |
| Express | CA$50per card | — | — | CAD 50 to 100 a card; bought separately rather than as a tier |
| Same-day walk-through | CA$150per card | — | Same day | In person at the Ontario office |
Prices as checked on 4 Oct 2026. They change often; the grader's own list is the final word.
Paying for speed is a separate purchase rather than a tier: Express runs CAD 50 to CAD 100 a card, and same-day walk-through at the Ontario office is CAD 150. For a Canadian collector the appeal is avoiding cross-border shipping and customs on the way to a US grader, not the sticker price.
The full file
What sets them apart
Canadian, operating since 1996, which makes it one of the longest-running graders anywhere and the longest-standing in Canada.
Three or more graders review each card under magnification and special lighting, weighting eye appeal over strict measurement — an approach vintage collectors specifically seek out. Sonically sealed UV-protected holders. No published subgrades.
Where the slab sells
Like Ace, acceptance is regional rather than absent — the slab is understood where it was built and largely unrecognized outside it.
eBay
Listed in eBay's professional grader filter, so KSA slabs are searchable, but KSA is not covered by the Authenticity Guarantee and receives no eBay buyer protection.
Auction houses
Not standard inventory at Goldin, Heritage or PWCC.
Card shops and general resale
Real recognition in the Canadian hockey market, where KSA has three decades of standing and a public verification lookup, but limited pull elsewhere.
Turnaround
Roughly 40 days for 1–19 cards, rising to about 75 from 20 cards up. Express runs about 7 days (CAD 50) or about 2 days (CAD 100).
Same-day walk-through is available in person at the Elmira, Ontario office for CAD 150 a card.
Price history
KSA Certification has not raised a listed price since Oct 2026.
Show the price history: 6 tiers, 0 changes
These come from our own records. Small ticks are sightings where the price held. A line ends where the evidence ends.
100+ cardsCA$15 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
50+ cardsCA$20 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
20+ cardsCA$25 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
Single cardCA$30 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
ExpressCA$50 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
Same-day walk-throughCA$150 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
Every change
| Date | Tier | Change | Source |
|---|
An archived page shows the price on the day it was saved, so a change happened somewhere between that page and the one before it.
The slab and the label
Subgrades: None
A clear holder over a black inner mat, closer to SGC's presentation than to PSA's.
Example slab shown for reference, not a card the editor owns.
A red-and-silver KSA Certification flip with the card details and grade. It is the label Canadian collectors recognise and largely nobody else does, which is the whole trade-off of grading domestically.
What they grade
- Sports Cards
- TCG
- Autographs
Who it's for
- Personal Collection
- Protection & Preservation
- Authentication
Personal collections, protection and authentication, strongest for Canadian hockey and vintage. CAD 12-19 in volume, with a working verification lookup.
Known concerns
Thirty years of operation is not the same as broad market recognition. Liquidity is concentrated almost entirely in Canadian hockey and vintage; outside that niche buyers are not searching KSA populations.
The absence of published subgrades also leaves a buyer less to evaluate than a BGS or DSG holder offers.
History
KSA Certification has been grading since 1996, making it one of the longest continuously-operating independents in the hobby — older than SGC, BGS and CGC.
Canadian-owned and operated, it built its following where its market was: hockey, and vintage cards aimed at Canadian collectors. Its process assesses cards under magnification and specialized lighting on a 10-point scale, without the subgrades some competitors publish.
Longevity has not translated into scale. KSA remains a small operation with a loyal but geographically concentrated base.
Score breakdown
Five parts, each scored 0 to 100 and weighted. Market acceptance carries 60 of the 100, because the point of a slab is what the market pays for it.
Market acceptance 28 / 100 (weight 60). The other four parts together 66 / 100 (weight 40).
Market acceptance
28 / 100weight 60adds 16.8
Unverified, scored as zero: Sold-price parity with the leading label, same card and grade.
Trust and verifiability
80 / 100weight 15adds 12.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Public population report.
Holder and label
47 / 100weight 10adds 4.7
Unverified, scored as zero: Standard footprint that fits hobby cases; Scannable cert code on the label.
Turnaround and access
70 / 100weight 5adds 3.5
Pricing
60 / 100weight 10adds 6.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Entry price, USD, cheapest tier any submitter can use; No price rise over 25% in the last 12 months.
Weighted total 43.0, shown as 43 out of 100.
Scored on 5 Oct 2026. 6 inputs could not be verified and score zero. How we score
On the Wire
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