PSA Extends Turnaround Times, Raises TCG Bulk Pricing Amid Ongoing Grading Surge

Collectors sending cards to PSA are facing a longer wait and a higher bill. Professional Sports Authenticator announced new changes to both service times and pricing this week, marking the second such adjustment in 2024 as submission volume continues to climb.

As of April 7, turnaround times for several popular service tiers have been extended to account for the rising demand. The updated service levels now reflect the following timelines:

• Value: 65 business days
• Value Bulk: 65 business days
• TCG Bulk: 65 business days
• Value + Bulk Dual Service: 75 business days

Additionally, starting April 8, the cost of TCG Bulk submissions will increase from $16.99 to $18.99 per card, a move that may affect high-volume submitters the most.

This change follows a previous update back in January when PSA shifted bulk turnaround times from 20 to 45 business days. With the latest adjustment, collectors are now looking at over two months of wait time for cards submitted under Value or Bulk tiers.

Growing Pains for Grading Giants​

The sharp uptick in demand continues to put pressure on PSA’s operations, despite efforts to scale up capacity. In recent months, customers have reported significant delays in getting their cards back, even for standard service levels.

While some collectors may consider moving to competing companies, it’s not necessarily a quick fix. Rival grading firm SGC has also noted increased submission volume and extended processing times of its own, making it clear this is an industry-wide bottleneck rather than a PSA-specific issue.

Stricter Grading Adds Another Layer​

To make matters more complicated, PSA has also been under scrutiny for its tightened grading standards, particularly when it comes to centering. This change, announced earlier this year, has been noticeable in the flood of “9” grades that collectors have received in recent weeks—many on cards that might have earned a 10 under previous standards.

As a result, submitters may need to be more selective when deciding what’s worth sending in. The combination of higher prices, longer delays, and tougher grading criteria is likely to influence which cards make the cut for bulk or value submissions.

What’s Next?​

PSA’s updated policies reflect a market still running hot, even as the post-pandemic boom cools off. The long-term impact remains to be seen, but these changes may ultimately encourage more calculated submissions and reduce some of the backlog.

For now, collectors will have to balance turnaround time, cost, and grade expectations more carefully than ever. Whether this leads to fewer submissions—or simply more frustration—will play out over the coming months.