Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is generally considered the gold standard in third-party grading for collectibles like sports cards. They have decades of experience assessing condition and have graded billions of cards. Some key aspects of using PSA:

PSA offers various service levels from economy to express depending on desired turnaround time. Economy takes several months while express can be 1-2 weeks but costs more.

Submitters can send cards in either as individuals, group submissions (usually smaller collections sent together), or larger bulk order submissions which provide discounts but take much longer to grade.

PSA uses a numeric 1-10 scale to grade card condition where 10 is flawless gem mint and 1 is poor. They will also designate qualifying cards as PSA GEM MINT 10 if they meet their strictest standards.

Graded PSA cards command a strong premium in the collecting market due to their reputation and brand. Grading fees tend to be higher than competitors. Standard card grading starts around $10-15 per card for economy level and can go much higher for special services.

Beckett Grading Services (BGS) is also a pioneer in the collectibles grading industry and highly respected for their standards. A few notes about using BGS:

Like PSA, BGS offers different turnaround options from value to express. Value takes 2-4 months while express is around 2 weeks. They recently introduced a new ultra-modern grading tier as well.

BGS uses a simpler 1-10 numeric scale for grades without qualification labels. They provide sub-grades from 1-5 or 1-4 for different aspects of condition like centering and corners under the overall grade.

Submission fees per card tend to be slightly lower than PSA on average, starting at $8-10 currently for individuals in value tier. Group bulk order savings are also available.

Graded BGS slabs are immensely popular on resale marketplaces due to clear communication of condition through the sub-grading system. However, PSA cards may realize a bit higher prices in some categories.

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) started in the rare coin market but has since branched into other collectibles like trading cards. Some notes on PCGS grading:

They introduced a dedicated sports card service about 5 years ago which has grown steadily in popularity each year. PCGS Set Registry is also a popular program.

Turnaround times and fee structures are similar to the coin side of the business, ranging from 30 day economy to 7 day express with per card fees of $10-25 depending on tier and bulk order options.

PCGS uses the same familiar 70 point Sheldon scale that coin collectors know well, grades run from 1-70, to assess card condition. A grade of Mint State/Gem Mint 65 would be the equivalent of a PSA or BGS 9.

Submitters appreciate the option of one-stop shopping to also have coins and cards graded together in one shipment using a grading service they already know and trust from other collecting areas.

Some additional smaller companies to consider include SGC which offers lower pricing, or European based graders like Sportscard GB which specialize more in international soccer/football cards. Overall though, PSA, BGS and PCGS remain the most well known and seen as providing the strongest resale value for graded baseball cards due to their leading reputations in the industry. With any of these major graders, it’s best to carefully research their particular standards and policies to pick the best fit for your collection needs and budget. Proper preparation and having realistic expectations for grades are also advised when deciding whether to have cards professionally assessed.

In summary, PSA, BGS and PCGS are the leading professional third-party grading services for baseball cards that provide reliable authentications of condition and assign grades to standardize the marketplace. The fees and turnaround times differ at each depending on submission tier, but all have spent decades building their reputations and brand recognition that can add value to eligible cards in collector’s portfolios. Submitters should weigh their options carefully based on needs and budget, while continuing to appreciate cards raw or in ungraded holders if formal assessment is not required. Professional grading remains a personal choice for adding verification that can potentially raise secondary market prices for high-quality pieces.