Grading hits a record 3.87 million cards in October as PSA and CGC both set highs
Record month for PSA and CGC. CGC's sports grading is up 159% in a year.
The major graders processed a record 3.87 million cards in October, sports and TCG combined, according to GemRate data reported by Sports Collectors Daily. That is up 20% on September and 48% on October 2025. Beckett is not included; its numbers are expected back in November.
By Cardboard Journal, 3 NovRead our full analysisEarlier
PSA backlog falls to 6.8 million, but the Value reopening slowed the drop
Down 400,000 in two weeks, not a million. Reopening Value refilled the queue.
PSA reopens Value grading at $39.99 and cuts Standard and Priority turnaround by 20 days
Value is back at $39.99, but new orders wait behind the 7.2 million already there.
PSA's backlog is down to 7.2 million. Value still has no date.
The backlog keeps falling, but PSA has still not named a date for its cheapest tiers.
PSA's backlog is down to 8.2 million, and the biweekly pace has slowed three times running
Still falling, but slower each time. On this pace Value's 5 million is December, not November.
Beckett closes Base and Standard again, a week after reopening them
Beckett is changing course week by week. That is not how a company in control behaves.
PSA's backlog is down to 9 million. At this pace, the Value threshold is late November.
At PSA's current pace, the 5 million threshold for Value arrives around late November.
Beckett's rebuild looks like recovery, not a plan
Until Beckett gives a date and says plainly whether customer data was involved, do not send it cards.
TAG's backlog is down 85% from peak, but Basic and Standard are still closed
Progress is real, but nothing reopens until October at the earliest — if then.
BGS is grading again. Beckett.com still isn't.
Submissions reopened on a generic form-builder. Beckett's own site is still dark.
Beckett said it was upgrading software. Then everything went dark.
There is a boring explanation for this. Beckett's silence is what makes people doubt it.
Beckett expects to reopen Base and Standard on 15 September
If it holds, the BGS entry price drops from $79.95 to $14.95 — but it is an estimate from 5 August, not a confirmation.
PSA opens a $59.99 tier on 14 September, and it is not Value coming back
The cheap route back in is $59.99 and it queues behind everything already in the building.
TAG pauses its regular tiers after submissions grow more than 800%
Do not plan a TAG submission this quarter; confirm reopening before you ship.
PSA pauses its Value tiers as the backlog peaks near 14 million cards
Budget bulk submissions are off the table until at least November.
SGC's speed advantage erodes under Collectors ownership
Choosing SGC for turnaround now needs fresher evidence than last year's reputation.