Getting baseball cards professionally graded is a popular way for collectors to authenticate, preserve, and potentially increase the value of their most prized cards. The costs associated with third-party grading can vary quite a bit depending on factors like the specific company used, turnaround times, membership levels, and number of cards submitted. Let’s take a deeper look at the pricing structures of the three largest and most well-known card grading services – PSA, BGS, and SGC – to help collectors understand what to budget for when considering getting their cards professionally authenticated and encapsulated in plastic slabs.
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is generally considered the gold standard in the card grading industry given their history dating back to the early 1990s. As the largest and most established company, PSA also tends to have the highest baseline costs. Their regular turnaround service tiers are as follows:
Economy – $15 per card, estimated 6-8 week return time. Minimum submission of 10 cards.
Standard – $20 per card, estimated 4-6 week return time. Minimum of 10 cards.
Express – $30 per card, estimated 2-4 week return time. Minimum of 10 cards.
10-Day – $50 per card, aims to return submissions within 10 business days. Minimum of 25 cards.
In addition to per card fees, PSA also charges a one-time submission fee that scales based on the number of cards being graded – starting at $15 for 10-24 cards and going up to $100 for 500+ cards. They also offer various membership programs that can provide discounts on submission and per card costs if certain volume minimums are met over a 12 month period.
BGS (Beckett Grading Services), another major third party authenticator, tends to be a bit more affordable than PSA across the board. Their standard service tiers are:
Economy – $13 per card, estimated 8-12 week return time. 10 card minimum.
Standard – $18 per card, estimated 6-8 week return time. 10 card minimum.
Express – $25 per card, estimated 3-5 week return time. 10 card minimum.
Like PSA, BGS also charges a one-time submission fee that scales from $15 for 10-24 cards up to $100 for 500+. They offer a similar membership program as well that provides discounts when certain volume and spending thresholds are met annually.
The newest player on the scene, SGC (Sportscard Guarantee Corporation), has positioned themselves as the most budget-friendly option for collectors. Their pricing is:
Value – $8 per card, estimated 6-8 week return time. 10 card minimum.
Standard – $12 per card, estimated 4-6 week return time. 10 card minimum.
Express – $20 per card, estimated 2-4 week return time. 10 card minimum.
SGC’s submission fees are also lower than the competition at a flat $5, regardless of the number of cards submitted. They do not currently offer a membership program either.
In addition to per card and submission fees from the main authenticators, collectors should also budget for the cost of supplies needed to professionally grade cards. Toploaders/holders to safely transport cards will run about $0.25-0.50 each depending on size and bulk orders. Shipping and insurance to send cards to the grader will typically be another $15-30 round trip depending on package weight and speed.
Budgeting $15-30 per card for regular turnaround times with PSA or BGS, or $8-12 per card through SGC’s value tier, is a reasonable guideline for estimating total costs. But costs can be lowered further with membership discounts or bundling cards into larger bulk submissions to qualify for lower per card pricing tiers. With proper planning and budgeting, third party grading is within reach of many collectors looking to authenticate and potentially unlock new value in their baseball card collections.
