How Many Cards Does PSA Grade?

Mind-blowing volume alert:

  • Since 1991, PSA has graded over 65 million items—that’s across cards, memorabilia, photos, and more Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

  • In 2023, they graded about 13.5 million cards, leading the industry SI.

  • 2024 was even bigger—they nailed 15.34 million cards graded (9.1M sports and 6.23M TCG & non-sport) SI.

  • Early 2025? PSA is holding sky-high with 72% market share, having graded 8.9 million cards in just the first half, and already hit about 12.4 million total items graded across all services, with PSA handling the lion’s share cllct+1.

  • On a weekly basis, PSA is averaging grading of 360,000 cards, including ~56K baseball, ~54K football, and ~37K basketball cards Investing Sports Memorabilia.

Why Is PSA #1 in Grading?

1. Scale & Speed

They grade over a million cards per month, dwarfing competitors. In fact, in May 2024 alone, PSA graded 1.37 million cards—massive compared to other services Topps RippedAll Vintage Cards.

2. Trust & Brand Credibility

PSA is the household name. Secure holders, easy cert checks, and trust from buyers—those slabs move. Their Grade and Authenticity Guarantee backs every card’s validity Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

3. Collector Ecosystem

They’re integrated with tools like the PSA Registry, population reports, and DNA-level treatment. This builds transparency, liquidity, and resale value.

Redditors keep saying: "PSA sells because PSA sells"—brand equity is king.

4. Massive Grader Workforce

PSA doubled down on staffing, expanding their grading team dramatically to crush bottlenecks and flood the market with graded cards Forbes.

What Is PSA Offers via the Vault?

This is the slickest feature they’ve rolled out for power collectors and dealers:

PSA Offers – Explained

  • After a card is graded, PSA may make an offer to buy it outright.

  • No fees, guaranteed payout, paid fast, once you accept Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

  • Only traded within PSA’s network—they don’t offload your card on eBay.

  • Ideal for shops or breakers needing inventory quickly.

How to Use It

  • Log into your PSA Vault account.

  • Navigate to the Offers tab to view offers available for your graded cards Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

  • Accept and PSA takes care of the rest—liquidity without the listing hassle.

Why It Matters

PSA isn’t just grading cards—they’re monetizing slabs, redefining collector liquidity, and cementing their dominance. If you’re in it for fun, profit, or building a mint-grade vault—PSA has become the gravity well pulling everything in.

Current Turnaround Times – What to Expect

Service-Level Timelines (in Business Days)

(Estimates apply to submissions created on or after July 8, 2025)

Service Level Estimated TAT
Value 45 Bus Days Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)cllct
Value Dual 55 Bus Days Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)
Value Bulk 65 Bus Days Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)COMC Blog
TCG Bulk 65 Bus Days Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)COMC Blog
Value + Bulk Dual 75 Bus Days Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)COMC Blog

Heads-up:

  • These estimates don’t start until PSA enters your submission into their system. Unboxing and labeling (the "Receiving" phase) can take ~10 business days before grading even kicks off. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)

  • In practice, collectors report Value Plus submissions (estimated 20 days) averaging closer to 38–42 Bus Days, with some stretching beyond 48 days—so real-world timelines can stretch significantly. Collectors Universe

PSA Grading Costs at a Glance

Base Service Levels (per card) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)Sports Collectors Daily

  • Value (basic): $24.99 — Est. 45 business days

  • Value Plus (faster): $39.99 — Est. 20 business days

  • Regular: $74.99 — Est. 10 business days

  • Express: $149 — Est. 5 business days, includes grading notes

  • Super Express: $299 — Est. 5 business days, premium imaging + inspector notes

  • Walk-Through: $599 — Est. 5 business days ($10k insured threshold)

Premium Valuation Tiers (for high-value cards) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)

  • Premium 1 ($999) — Value up to $25K

  • Premium 2 ($1,999) — Value up to $50K

  • Premium 3 ($2,999) — Value up to $100K

  • Premium 5 ($4,999) — Value up to $250K

  • Premium 10 ($9,999+) — Value $250K+ (scaled pricing above that threshold)

Are There Auto Grading Services?

Yes—PSA grades autograph cards using the same service tiers (Value, Value Plus, etc.). They’ll authenticate the signature and encapsulate the card accordingly. No separate “auto-only” tier.

In Summary (Collector’s TL;DR)

  • Value: $24.99, ~45 bus days (but expect more like 50–60 IRL)

  • Value Plus: $39.99, ~20 bus days (often finishes in ~38–42 bus days in reality)

  • Regular to Walk-Through: $74.99–$599, speeding things up significantly

  • Premium Valuation: For cards up to $250K+—expensive but necessary for high-end investments

  • Authentication of autos: Included across these tiers—no special category required

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