PSA Hikes Magazine Grading Turnaround to 75 Days, Label Design Still Lags Behind CGC

PSA just rolled out its long-awaited comic and magazine grading service, but the excitement has been dampened by an unexpected change: the promised 20-day turnaround for magazine grading has quietly ballooned to 75 days. Collectors eager for a quick flip or display will now need to pack some patience—or look elsewhere.

The grading company kicked off the program with special launch pricing, dropping modern comic and magazine submissions (1975-present, under $400 value) to $25.99 and vintage to $39.99. But with the new 75-day timeline, some in the hobby are questioning the value.

Sources inside PSA say the company ran into unexpected hang-ups with tariffs and production, leaving them without the new magazine slabs they’d hoped to have by launch. The magazine-size slabs are now expected sometime in September. Until then, the wait is on.

There’s also a newly offered pressing service: $11.99 for modern, $29.99 for vintage. The catch? If you want pressing, you’re committing to it for every item in your order—no mixing pressed and unpressed in a single batch.

But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the PSA label design. Even with this new grading venture, PSA’s slabs still look bland and outdated compared to what CGC is offering. CGC lets collectors spice things up by paying a bit extra for character artwork right on the label—something that adds real shelf presence and personality to each slab. PSA’s labels, whether for comics or trading cards, feel generic and uninspired in comparison. In an era where display is half the fun, you’d expect PSA to up their game. Instead, the presentation still looks stuck in the past.

For many collectors, CGC continues to set the standard for both turnaround options and presentation. If PSA wants to win over the comic and magazine crowd, it might be time for a bold label redesign—because right now, the only thing standing out about their slabs is the wait.