There are several professional third-party companies that offer grading services for collectibles like baseball cards. The two most prominent and respected grading companies are Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett Grading Services (BGS). Both companies charge submission fees to grade and authenticate cards, and their prices vary depending on the turnaround time and specific grading service selected.
For PSA, their standard service is called PSA/DNA. For cards valued under $500, the basic submission fee is $20 per card with an average turnaround time of 6-8 weeks. For cards valued over $500, the fee is $30 per card. Expedited service options are available that can cut the wait time down to 1-2 weeks but cost significantly more – $50-$100+ per card depending on exact turnaround time selected. PSA also offers an economy budget service called PSA/PSA Economy that is $12 per card but has lower authentication standards and a longer 10-12 week turnaround.
BGS offers several service levels as well. Their basic Hobby Service has a $15 per card fee for a 6-8 week turnaround time. Their Express Service is $30 per card for a 3-4 week turnaround. For high-end vintage and expensive cards valued over $2,000, BGS offers a Premium Service for $100 per card for a guaranteed 1-2 week turnaround. Just like PSA, BGS also provides various expedited options for faster grading that can cost up to $250+ per card depending on turnaround time selected.
In addition to the per card grading fees, both PSA and BGS charge shipping/handling and fulfillment costs for the submission process. PSA charges $15 per order for shipping supplies and labels regardless of the number of cards, while BGS charges $5 per order plus $1 per card shipped. There may also be return shipping costs to pay to have the graded cards sent back once grading is complete. International customers also face additional duties and tariffs from both companies that can significantly drive up costs as well.
Most experienced collectors recommend submitting cards in bulk to help offset the per card costs. The minimum submission amount is typically 10 cards for most services. Submitting larger 50+ card orders allows the fixed costs like shipping to be distributed across more cards, lowering the average cost per card graded. Group submissions amongst friends is another way to achieve bulk submission discounts when smaller individual collections don’t meet the minimum.
In addition to the mainstream PSA and BGS third party grading options, there are also several smaller independent grading companies that provide alternative services often at more affordable per card rates. The grading standards and authenticity guarantees may not be as robust. And the assigned numerical grade from smaller companies typically doesn’t carry the same cachet and increase cards value as strongly as a PSA or BGS label would.
For modern sports cards valued under $500, expect to pay around $20-$30 per card to get them professionally graded by PSA or BGS using their standard services. Factoring in shipping costs, submitting larger 50+ card bulk orders can get the average cost down closer to $15-$25 per card graded depending on turnaround time selected. For high-end vintage cards valued over $2,000, premium services are available but will cost $100 or more per card graded. With some planning and effort to reach bulk submission minimums, third party grading remains an important option for serious collectors looking to independently verify condition and authenticity.
