Yes, it does typically cost money to have baseball cards professionally graded by the major third-party grading companies. There are several large companies that provide grading services for collectibles like sports cards, including PSA, BGS (Beckett Grading Services), SGC (Sports Grading Company), and HGA (Hobby Grading Access). Each of these companies charge submission fees for their services.
The costs to grade baseball cards can vary depending on a few factors like the specific grading company used, how many cards are being submitted at once, and the type of grading service selected. Usually a bulk regular submission is the most affordable option, while special express services or single card submissions tend to be more expensive. As a general overview, here are the typical costs you can expect from the major grading companies:
PSA is usually considered the gold standard of grading but also tends to be one of the more expensive options. Their basic regular submission service charges $10 per card with additional costs based on turnaround time. Bulk submissions of 50 cards or more get a lower $8 per card fee. They also offer various express and bulk discount programs. Turnaround times can range from a few months to over a year depending on the selected service level.
BGS offers similarly tiered submission options. A regular bulk service of 10 or more cards is $12 per card. Single card submissions are $18 each. Like PSA they have different fast-track options that are more costly per card. BGS turnaround is usually faster than PSA as well, ranging from a couple weeks to a few months depending on the service selected.
SGC provides the most economical grading options of the major companies. Their basic bulk submission of 10 or more cards is only $7.50 per card. Single card submissions are still affordable at $12 each. SGC aims for fast 2-4 week turnaround times across all their services. Some collectors consider SGC slabs to have less resale value than PSA or BGS graded cards, however.
Newer company HGA is also very competitively priced, charging $7.50 per card for bulk submissions of 10 cards or more with $10 for single cards. Their quoted turnaround is around 2-4 weeks as well. HGA uses different innovative slabbing compared to the other companies which some collectors enjoy or have concerns about.
Beyond just the per card grading fees, there are usually also shipping costs involved depending on how cards are submitted and returned. Most grading companies recommend using registered mail or other trackable shipping methods for submissions to ensure cards arrive safely. Return shipping is also usually additional. Insurance can provide peace of mind but also adds to costs.
The total money invested in grading baseball cards really depends on several factors. For a budget-conscious collector, SGC’s affordable bulk submissions of 10 or more cards for $7.50 each are probably the lowest cost option. But for cards expected to have strong resale value, PSA or BGS are still top choices even with their higher single card fees. Doing research, planning volume, and comparing services are recommended before committing cards to get the best grading value.
While it is possible to grade cards yourself or use less established services, all the major respected third party grading companies do require fees per card. Costs can range from as low as $7.50 each for bulk SGC submissions up to $18 or more for single card express PSA or BGS service levels. Factors like company, submission size, turnaround time, and total shipping costs are what determine the financial investment required to professionally authenticate and encapsulate sports cards for long-term preservation and potentially increased collectible value. Grading provides documentation that can help resell graded cards for higher prices, so the costs have to be weighed versus potential returns on investment. With planning and comparison shopping, most collectors should be able to find affordable grading options through one of the established leaders in the sports card authentication industry.
