Getting valuable baseball cards professionally graded has become enormously popular in recent decades. Third-party grading provides authentication, certification of condition, and an impartial assessment of factors like centering and corners that can significantly impact a card’s value. While grading offers numerous benefits, it also involves costs that card collectors need to consider carefully before submitting their cards.
The main professional grading services for baseball cards are PSA, BGS (Beckett Grading Services), and SGC (Sportscard Guarantee Corporation). Each has its own procedures and pricing structures. Before sending any cards for grading, collectors should thoroughly research the qualities each service looks for in high-grade specimens of different card issues and designs. Factors like centering, edges, and surface can dramatically impact the numerical grade a card receives, making or breaking its potential worth.
Cost is obviously a major consideration for anyone contemplating grading. All three main services charge per-card submission fees, and pricing varies based on the turnaround time requested. PSA’s basic economy service runs around $10 per card with a 10-12 week estimated processing time. For $20 per card, their standard 30-day option is available. For $50 per card, cards can be back in as little as a week. BGS charges $15 per card for their regular service with a 90-day return estimate, or $30 for an express 25-day option. SGC lists per-card rates of $8 for their standard 90-120 day grade turnaround or $15 for an express grade expected in 30 days.
In addition to per-card fees, all companies charge submission packaging costs. Basic submission packages to send in small numbers of cards start around $15-20 per order. Larger bulk submissions in special boxes incur higher minimum submission costs that are often required regardless of package contents. Shipping to and from the grading company is also the responsibility of the submitter to arrange and pay for. Comprehensive insurance for declared card value during transit is strongly advised as well.
Once factoring in all costs, a basic PSA submission of 10 common baseball cards could easily run $150 or more after fees, shipping and insurance. Grading higher-end vintage cards or complete sets can obviously drive costs much higher still. The potential increased value from third-party certification needs to be weighed against grading expenses on a per-card basis. For cards worth under $50 raw, grading may not provide sufficient return on investment given costs. Higher-value specimens are where third-party authentication can unlock the most added worth.
Along with costs, turnaround times are another consideration. While express options get cards back fastest, waiting periods of 3-6 months or longer are common even for basic economy submissions during peak grading seasons. Backlogs and service suspensions related to events like the COVID-19 pandemic can further extend estimated wait times. Collectors need to plan accordingly based on estimated grading periods and factor in potential delays when submitting cards they’ll want relatively soon for events like shows or auctions.
Quality control is also an issue, as no grading service is perfect. While standards are intended to be impartial, subjective elements still come into play and different graders may not always agree on close calls. Reconsideration requests to re-examine a card’s assigned grade typically incur additional fees as well. Damage or loss during transit is also a remote but real risk collectors take on by sending valuable cards away, even with insurance in place.
With proper research and expectations set for costs, wait times, and uncertainties, third-party grading can absolutely add value for the right baseball cards. Higher-end specimens like rare vintage stars, unique error variants, or complete vintage sets have the most potential to realize multiples more in worth with a respected certification and numerical grade. But for more common issues, the expenses may outweigh benefits. Careful cost-benefit analysis of individual cards is required to determine if submitting them for professional grading makes financial sense.
In the rapidly growing collectibles marketplace, third-party authentication remains crucial for establishing condition and worth baseline expectations demanded by serious investors and consignors. The major grading services continue refining procedures to quality control subjective assessments at scale. With proper planning factored for costs, timelines, risk, and an understanding of what each service considers for top numerical grades, professional grading maximizes the value realized from prized collectibles – provided the right cards are selected. For valuable specimens aimed for long-term preservation and investment, the costs are often worth it.
