ACE has become the default for UK collectors on cost and speed

This is a geography problem more than a grading one, and it resolves differently depending on where your buyer is.

For UK-to-UK selling the case is straightforward. £14.99 and 5-10 days against transatlantic shipping, customs and weeks of waiting is not a close comparison, and Trustpilot reviewers consistently praise the slab and the reasoning in the reports.

The counterweight only appears at sale. A 15-30% PSA premium on comparable grades is larger than the cost saving on almost any card worth grading, so the saving is real up front and partly repaid at the other end. The honest rule is that ACE wins when your buyer is domestic and the card is mid-value, and loses as soon as the card is good enough to attract a global bidder.