Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) – Often considered the gold standard, PSA is the largest and most well-known card grading service. Founded in 2000, they have graded hundreds of millions of cards over the years. To submit cards for grading to PSA, you will first need to create an account on their website. Then you can login, select a submission service level (there are different tiers that vary by turnaround time and cost), and enter details about each individual card you are sending in such as the year, sport, player, and card number. They provide submission packages you can use to securely ship your cards to their facility. Once graded, the cards are analyzed on variables like centering, corners, edges, and surface for each individual attribute on a scale from 1 to 10. Cards that grade high enough overall will receive one of PSA’s slabs with the grade securely encapsulating the card for protection. Turnaround times range from a few weeks up to a few months depending on the service level selected. PSA also offers bulk submission discounts for customers submitting dozens or hundreds of cards at once.

Beckett Grading Services (BGS) – Founded in 1985, BGS is another prominent grading service that uses a similar 10-point scaling system as PSA. The main differences are their labeling and slabbing design compared to PSA. Like PSA, BGS has an online submission process where collectors create accounts to enter card details and select a turnaround service level. With BGS, cards are analyzed on the same attributes as PSA for individual numerical scores which are combined into an overall grade. BGS is trusted by collectors worldwide and also offers bulk submission discounts. Turnaround times are generally comparable to PSA depending on the tier of service chosen.

Hi-Tek Authenticators – While slightly smaller than the “Big Two”, Hi-Tek has still graded millions of collectibles over the last 15+ years in operation. They utilize a similar process as PSA and BGS where collectors create online submission profiles and select a service level. However, Hi-Tek aims to provide more budget-friendly options for collectors on a tighter budget. Their turnaround times and cost per card are often lower than PSA or BGS. Hi-Tek assign individual attribute grades and an overall grade like the larger companies. While not quite as widely recognized as PSA or BGS yet, Hi-Tek is still trusted by card collectors.

In addition to these well-established services, there are a few other smaller grading companies that collectors may consider as well such as SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation), CGC (Certified Guaranty Company), and GMA (Grading and Authentication Solutions). All of these companies have online submission portals and provide similar grading and encapsulation services to determine a card’s condition and protect it long term. Ultimately, most experienced collectors will ultimately submit their highest valued vintage or rare cards to PSA or BGS for grading since they have the strongest brand recognition. But the other companies listed here also do excellent work for all types of cards at varying price points.

Professional third party grading through a reputable service like PSA, BGS, Hi-Tek, or others provides collectors with an impartial assessment of a card’s condition above and beyond someone’s self-grading. The slab also protects the card long term and may increase its resale value depending on the assigned grade. Taking the steps to properly submit cards and understand turnaround times is worthwhile for anyone seriously collecting or investing in baseball cards. I hope this detailed overview provided helpful information on the major companies that collectors can rely on for this service.