There are several professional grading services for baseball cards, with PSA and BGS being the two largest and most well-known companies. The costs to grade cards can vary depending on factors like turnaround time, value of the card, and level of grading service selected.
Both PSA and BGS offer various service levels with different pricing structures. The base or regular service takes several months to complete but is the most affordable option, while higher level express services provide faster turnaround times but at a higher cost. Most collectors opt for the basic service as the wait is worth saving money unless a card is exceptionally rare or valuable.
For PSA’s regular service, which they call their “Standard” level, the cost is $10 per card for the first card submitted and $8.50 for each additional card in the same submission order. The minimum submission amount is 10 cards. Turnaround time is typically 6-8 months currently due to high volumes. PSA also offers various Express services that are 2-4 weeks and cost $20-$50 per card depending on the specific Express tier selected.
BGS offers comparable pricing structures for their base and express submission options. For their “Regular” tier, which is equivalent to PSA’s standard level, the pricing is $12 per card for orders containing 10-24 cards. The price drops to $10 per card for orders of 25 cards or more. Bards submitted through BGS’s regular service usually take 4-6 months currently to be graded and returned.
BGS also has Day, Week, and Month express options that range from $25-$75 per card. Day submissions take 1 business day but cost $75 per card. Week submissions are $50 per card and take 5 business days, while Month level express is $25 per card and 2-4 weeks turnaround. Both PSA and BGS will charge additional fees if any submitted cards cross over size or value thresholds as well.
In addition to the grading fees, both companies charge shipping fees to transport the holder submission to their facilities and then return the now graded cards back to the customer. For PSA, domestic US shipping each way is around $15-25 depending on package size and value. International shipping costs vary based on destination country but usually start around $30 each way minimum.
BGS charges flat shipping rates for their submissions that are also usually in the $15-30 range domestically each way depending on package specifics. Their international shipping prices display on their website and can go up to over $100 each way for large, high value international shipments.
Collectors also need to factor in the costs of supplies needed for a submission like plastic submission holders, shipping supplies like boxes and packing materials, and labor involved in preparing all the cards. For a full submission of 100 raw cards carefully packaged and sent to PSA or BGS for their standard service, a collector should budget a minimum of $1500 total when including all grading fees, shipping costs, and supplies needed. For smaller submissions of 10-25 cards, $300-700 would be a typical estimated total cost.
Getting baseball cards professionally graded is an investment that ensures condition certification and preservation that can increase card values exponentially if high grades are received. The costs add up with fees and shipping, but collecting services from reputable companies like PSA and BGS provide authenticity and documentation that is invaluable to serious card collectors and investors over the long term. Careful planning of submission size, express needs, and budgeting for all associated costs is important to successfully have cards graded in the most cost effective manner possible.
