The first step in getting baseball cards graded by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is to choose which cards you want to submit for grading. Only send in your best conditioned, centered cards that are in mint or near mint condition. Flawed or off-center cards are unlikely to receive a high grade from PSA. Narrow down your collection to the 10-15 cards that have the best chance of earning high PSA grades.
Once you’ve selected your cards, you’ll need to properly package them for shipment to PSA. Place each individual card in a plastic sleeve to protect it, and then sleeve multiple cards together in a team bag. Use ultraPro or Topps branded sleeves and bags as PSA prefers submitters use professional quality packaging materials. Place the sleeved cards inside a cardboard shipping box with plenty of padding on all sides such as bubble wrap or air packs. Properly cushioning the cards ensures they won’t shift around or get damaged in transit.
Before sealing up the package, make sure to include a PSA submission form listing all the cards being sent in along with the desired turnaround time and grading services. You can print submission forms directly from the PSA website. Also include payment, either by check or credit card info on the form. Ship the packaged cards to PSA using a carrier like USPS, UPS, or FedEx that provides tracking. Keep the shipping receipt in case any issues arise.
Once PSA receives the submission, they’ll log it into their system and begin the grading process. First, they’ll authenticate each card to ensure it’s a genuine MLB issued card and hasn’t been altered or tampered with. Next, graders will examine the card under high intensity lighting and powerful magnification to analyze the condition and note any flaws. They’ll assign letter grades of Gem Mint (GM/MT), Mint (MT/MT), Near Mint (NM/MT), Very Good (VG/MT), Good (G/MT), Poor (PR), and more for the centering, corners, edges and surface.
After condition grading each individual part of the card, PSA combines the letter grades to determine the overall numerical grade on their 1-10 scale. Cards earning 8.5 and above are considered pristine “Gem Mint” specimens worthy of their highest honors label and substantial premium prices. It usually takes 4-8 weeks for PSA to complete the rigorous grading process depending on the selected turnaround time. Once grading is finalized, the card is sealed in a tamper evident holder displaying the numerical grade for protection and authentication.
PSA then ships the graded cards back to the submitter. At this point you can choose to either hold onto the cards for your personal collection or sell them raw or still encased within the holders. Professionally graded cards usually appreciate far more in value than ungraded versions, especially the high grade examples like PSA 9s and 10s. Slabbed cards can be consigned or listed individually on major online auction sites. Many collectors prefer buying cards that have already received authenticity verification and condition assessment through a respected third party like PSA.
Getting valuable baseball cards professionally graded through PSA is an excellent way to maximize their collectible and long term investment potential. Following PSA’s submission process and guidelines helps ensure cards receive an impartial and transparent condition assessment that greatly enhances their appeal and value to serious collectors. With proper preparation and patience through the grading turnaround period, submitters stand to unlock significantly increased worth for their best cards.
