Professional Sports Authenticator
PSA
Still the label buyers trust — but PSA is coasting on that trust while backlogs grow and lawsuits pile up.
Our score86/100TierSNo. 1 on the scorecards
Resale standingPremiumThe slab itself adds to the price. Buyers pay more for this label.
Cheapest way in$39.99Value, cards up to $500
Typical turnaround90–100 daysReader reports →
Backlog7.2M down 12% since 6 Oct · As of 20 Oct · History →
Cert lookupPublicVerify a cert →
Owned byCollectors HoldingsFounded 1991 · What else it owns →
The short version
3 min to read it all, belowWhy it scores 86
The full breakdownWhere the slab sells
- eBay Authenticity GuaranteeCovered
- Major US auction housesStandard inventory
- Public cert lookupYes
What to watch
The cheapest tiers have been paused twice under heavy backlogs, most recently in June 2026 with roughly ten million cards queued.
All known concernsPricing
Official price listPSA prices by declared value, not simply by speed — what the card is worth decides which tiers you may use at all.
| Tier | Price | Card value up to | Quoted turnaround | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $39.99per card | $500 | 90–100 business days | Single Value tier, open by 30 Oct 2026; the four earlier Value tiers stay paused |
| Standard | $59.99per card | $1,000 | 70–80 business days | Processed after existing Value and Bulk orders |
| Priority | $79.99per card | $1,500 | 50–60 business days | Renamed from Regular on 9 Sep |
| Express | $199per card | $2,500 | 20–30 business days | Was $149 before 9 Sep |
| Super Express | $349per card | $5,000 | 10–15 business days | |
| Premier | $599per card | $10,000 | 7–10 business days | Formerly Walk-Through |
| Value (four tiers)Paused | — | — | — | Paused since June 2026 |
Prices as checked on 30 Oct 2026. They change often; the grader's own list is the final word.
The four Value tiers paused in June 2026 remain paused, but by 30 October PSA had opened a new single Value tier at $39.99 per card for cards declared up to $500, quoted at 90 to 100 business days — now the cheapest way in. Standard, opened on 14 September, is $59.99 up to $1,000 and is now quoted at 70 to 80 business days, and Priority — the tier renamed from Regular on 9 September — is $79.99 up to $1,500 at 50 to 60 days; both quotes are 20 days shorter than in mid-October. Express was repriced on 9 September from $149 to $199, which PSA says protects its 20 to 30 day estimate. Super Express is $349 per card at 10 to 15 business days with a $5,000 maximum insured value, and Premier, formerly Walk-Through, is $599.
The full file
What sets them apart
The default. Roughly 70-75% of the sports-card market, and a PSA 10 is the number buyers search for when they check what a card is worth.
Its free Set Registry runs to about 150,000 sets and is the reason serious set builders grade here at all. No subgrades and no half-point scale — the grade is a single number, and that simplicity is part of why it is liquid.
Where the slab sells
In practical terms there is no venue in the trading-card market where a PSA slab is a liability. The constraints on PSA are cost, turnaround and backlog — never whether the market will take it.
eBay
PSA is the platform's sole authenticator for its Authenticity Guarantee program, covering both raw and graded trading cards, and eBay requires graded cards selling above $2,000 to be verified by PSA — including slabs graded by its competitors.
No other grader holds a comparable platform-level position.
Auction houses
Accepted without qualification at Goldin, Heritage and PWCC, where PSA-graded lots are standard inventory rather than an exception a consignor has to explain.
Card shops and general resale
A PSA cert number is the default lookup buyers use to check comparable sales, and PSA population figures are the reference most price guides key against.
Turnaround
Value, the cheapest tier open today at $39.99 (Standard is next at 70–80 days)
Promised waits since Oct 2024
PSA's promised wait for Express has gone from 5 business days in Oct 2024 to 20–30 business days today. 3 tiers are paused; their last promise is shown.
| Tier | First promise we hold | Latest promise | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 45 business days2 Oct 2024 | 90–100 business days30 Oct 2026 | 2× longer |
| Express | 5 business days2 Oct 2024 | 20–30 business days30 Oct 2026 | 6× longer |
| Super Express | 5 business days2 Oct 2024 | 10–15 business days30 Oct 2026 | 3× longer |
| Value Bulk | 45 business days2 Oct 2024 | 95 business days3 May 2026 | 2× longerPaused by 2 Jun 2026 |
| Value Plus | 20 business days2 Oct 2024 | 45 business days3 May 2026 | 2× longerPaused by 2 Jun 2026 |
| Value Max | 15 business days23 Feb 2025 | 35 business days3 May 2026 | 2× longerPaused by 2 Jun 2026 |
From archived copies of PSA's price page and our own records. The latest promise is the one on the page the last time we saw it, and a range such as 20–30 days is compared at its upper end.
Backlog over time
PSA's backlog stood at 7.2M cards on 20 Oct, down 42% from its 12.4M peak on 28 Jul.
Cards waiting, 8 dated readings since 14 Jul. The blue dot is the latest; hollow dots are unconfirmed or worked out. Spacing is real time. Every reading is in the table below.
| Date | Reading | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct | 7.2M down 12% | Grader's page | Confirmed |
| 6 Oct | 8.2M down 8.9% | Our Wire report | Confirmed |
| 22 Sep | 9M down 9.1% | Our Wire report | ConfirmedPSA said 'about 9 million'. |
| 8 Sep | 9.9M down 9.2% | Our Wire report | Confirmed |
| 25 Aug | 10.9M down 8% | Our Wire report | Confirmed |
| 11 Aug | 11.85M down 4.4% | Our Wire report | ConfirmedFrom the table in our 9 Oct wire piece. |
| 28 Jul | 12.4M up 13% | Our Wire report | ConfirmedThe peak. Our 23 Sep wire piece: 12.4 million in late July. |
| 14 Jul | 11M | Search snippet | UnconfirmedSeen only in a search-result snippet of PSA's tracker; not yet read on the page itself. |
Price history
PSA has raised prices on 7 separate dates since Oct 2024. The steepest climb is Value: up 60%, from $24.99 to $39.99.
Show the price history: 12 tiers, 29 changes
172 sightings come from archived copies of its pricing page; the rest are from our own records. Small ticks are sightings where the price held. A line ends where the evidence ends.
Value$39.99 up 60%
Standard$59.99 new 20 Sep 2026
Priority$79.99 new 20 Sep 2026
Express$199 up 54%
Super Express$349 up 40%
Premier$599 new 20 Sep 2026
Paused or retired
RegularRetired · last listed 15 Jul 2026 at $79.99
Walk-ThroughRetired · last listed 15 Jul 2026 at $599
Value BulkPaused since 2 Jun 2026 · was $24.99
Value PlusPaused since 2 Jun 2026 · was $49.99
Value MaxPaused since 2 Jun 2026 · was $64.99
Trading Card Game BulkRetired · last listed 16 Jan 2026 at $18.99
Every change
| Date | Tier | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct 2026 | Value | $32.99 → $39.99 up 21%Routine saw a change (add): "Value $39.99/Card Max Insured Value: $500 Estimated Turnaround Time: 90 - 100 Business Days" | Our twice-weekly check |
| 30 Oct 2026 | Value | Reopened at $39.99Routine saw a change (add): "Value $39.99/Card Max Insured Value: $500 Estimated Turnaround Time: 90 - 100 Business Days" | Our twice-weekly check |
| 20 Sep 2026 | Standard | New tier at $59.99 | Archived page |
| 20 Sep 2026 | Priority | New tier at $79.99 | Archived page |
| 20 Sep 2026 | Express | $149 → $199 up 34% | Archived page |
| 20 Sep 2026 | Premier | New tier at $599 | Archived page |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Regular | Last listed at $79.99 | Archived page |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Walk-Through | Last listed at $599 | Archived page |
| 11 Jun 2026 | Super Express | $299 → $349 up 17% | Archived page |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Value | Paused at $32.99PSA paused all four Value tiers from 2 June (our 30 Aug Wire report). Price is the last one listed. | Our Wire report |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Value Bulk | Paused at $24.99PSA paused all four Value tiers from 2 June (our 30 Aug Wire report). Price is the last one listed. | Our Wire report |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Value Plus | Paused at $49.99PSA paused all four Value tiers from 2 June (our 30 Aug Wire report). Price is the last one listed. | Our Wire report |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Value Max | Paused at $64.99PSA paused all four Value tiers from 2 June (our 30 Aug Wire report). Price is the last one listed. | Our Wire report |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Value | $27.99 → $32.99 up 18% | Archived page |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Regular | $74.99 → $79.99 up 6.7% | Archived page |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Value Bulk | $21.99 → $24.99 up 14% | Archived page |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Value Plus | $44.99 → $49.99 up 11% | Archived page |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Value Max | $59.99 → $64.99 up 8.3% | Archived page |
| 16 Jan 2026 | Trading Card Game Bulk | Last listed at $18.99 | Archived page |
| 18 Dec 2025 | Value | $24.99 → $27.99 up 12% | Archived page |
| 18 Dec 2025 | Value Bulk | $19.99 → $21.99 up 10% | Archived page |
| 18 Dec 2025 | Value Plus | $39.99 → $44.99 up 13% | Archived page |
| 8 May 2025 | Trading Card Game Bulk | $16.99 → $18.99 up 12% | Archived page |
| 23 Feb 2025 | Value Max | New tier at $59.99 | Archived page |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Express | $129 → $149 up 16% | Archived page |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Super Express | $249 → $299 up 20% | Archived page |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Walk-Through | $499 → $599 up 20% | Archived page |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Value Bulk | $18.99 → $19.99 up 5.3% | Archived page |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Trading Card Game Bulk | $14.99 → $16.99 up 13% | Archived page |
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 sonic-welded holder in the size the whole hobby is built around — every one-touch, bin and shelf insert assumes these dimensions.
Example slab shown for reference, not a card the editor owns.
The frosted inner border hides a sliver of the card's edge, and that same frosting appears around the outer rim once a slab has been cracked and resealed.
The white flip with the blue Lighthouse mark is the most recognised object in the hobby, and most of what a PSA card sells for is attached to the label rather than to the grade behind it. Barcode and cert number on the front, QR code on the back.
What they grade
- Sports Cards
- TCG
- Non-Sports & Entertainment
- Autographs
- Specialty Formats
- Comics
- Tickets
- Unopened Packs
- Magazines
- Balls
Who it's for
- Resale Value
- Long-Term Investment
- Personal Collection
- Authentication
- Trading & Liquidity
- Set Completion
Anywhere the eventual sale matters. Carries eBay's Authenticity Guarantee and is the venue standard at Goldin, Heritage and PWCC.
The wrong tool for a card you simply want housed — price and backlog make that expensive.
Known concerns
The cheapest tiers have been paused twice under heavy backlogs, most recently in June 2026 with roughly ten million cards queued.
A new $59.99 Standard tier opened 14 September 2026, but PSA is explicit that it does not replace the Value tiers, which remain paused with no date attached, and that Standard orders are processed behind existing Value and Bulk work — PSA has said Value tiers will not reopen until the backlog falls under five million cards, from about 6.8 million as of PSA's 3 November 2026 update. A wave of 2026 lawsuits, including a federal RICO claim and a proposed class action, alleges inconsistent grading and grade inflation on cards PSA had repurchased; unproven, but they fueled a visible boycott. Parent Collectors Holdings now owns PSA, SGC and Beckett, drawing a congressional FTC referral and an antitrust suit seeking divestiture — in Rasmussen v. Collectors Holdings the plaintiffs amended their complaint in August, and on 21 September 2026 Collectors, now joined by PSA, SGC and Beckett, refiled its motions to dismiss and to compel arbitration; they are set to be heard on 11 December 2026. The federal RICO class action was filed by Nicholas Funk in the District of Maryland on 28 July 2026 and alleges more than $1 billion in fraudulent grading fees over a four-year class period; PSA had not responded when last checked.
History
Founded in July 1991 by David Hall, who had already built Professional Coin Grading Service, PSA brought standardized third-party grading to a sports card market then awash in counterfeits and subjective condition claims.
That head start compounded: decades of graded cards built the hobby's deepest population database, and a PSA 10 became the number buyers search for — which is why a PSA slab carries resale weight a newer label simply doesn't.
Ownership has changed since. Parent company Collectors Universe went private in February 2021, bought at $92 a share by an investor group led by Nat Turner alongside D1 Capital Partners and Steve Cohen's Cohen Private Ventures. Now operating as Collectors Holdings, it acquired SGC in 2024 and Beckett in late 2025 — consolidating most of the grading industry under a single owner and prompting a December 2025 congressional call for an FTC antitrust investigation.
Scale has always been the weak point: PSA first suspended its entry-level tiers back in 2021, so the current pause is a repeat of a pattern, not a one-off.
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 90 / 100 (weight 60). The other four parts together 79 / 100 (weight 40).
Market acceptance
90 / 100weight 60adds 54.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Recognised in a major non-US market.
Trust and verifiability
95 / 100weight 15adds 14.3
−5 Unproven 2026 lawsuits, including a federal RICO claim, allege inconsistent grading and grade inflation.
Holder and label
92 / 100weight 10adds 9.2
−8 The frosted inner border hides a sliver of the card's edge.
Turnaround and access
40 / 100weight 5adds 2.0
−10 Backlog of about 9 million cards and all four Value tiers paused since June 2026; Standard is quoted at 90 to 100 business days.
Pricing
60 / 100weight 10adds 6.0
Weighted total 85.5, shown as 86 out of 100.
Scored on 5 Oct 2026. 1 input could not be verified and scores zero. How we score
On the Wire
All 18 PSA stories- Grading hits a record 3.87 million cards in October as PSA and CGC both set highs
- PSA backlog falls to 6.8 million, but the Value reopening slowed the drop
- PSA reopens Value grading at $39.99 and cuts Standard and Priority turnaround by 20 days
- PSA publishes all 6,451 stolen certs as the FBI joins the FedEx theft case
- PSA's backlog is down to 7.2 million. Value still has no date.
- Thieves take two pallets of PSA cards from a FedEx truck at its headquarters
- A grader should grade the card, not charge you for what it's worth
- PSA swears it has no stake in your sale. It's paid a percentage of the price.
Reader reports
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