Pokémon card collectors looking for a more affordable way to grade their prized possessions are finally getting some welcome news, though it comes with a catch.
Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that its Value grading service will reopen worldwide on Oct. 29, offering submissions for $39.99 per card in the United States. However, that’s a $7 increase over the service’s previous $32.99 price tag, representing a hike of more than 21%. And with the company’s enormous backlog, collectors shouldn’t expect their cards back anytime soon.
For anyone submitting ten cards, that extra $7 amounts to another $70 before shipping, which means “value,” in this case, is a rather relative term. That math becomes especially troublesome for lower-value cards: a perfect grade may boost resale value, but the grading fee can devour that premium remarkably quickly.
The returning Value tier, available beginning at 8 a.m. PT on Thursday, Oct. 29, accepts cards with a maximum insured value of $500 and carries an estimated turnaround time of 90 to 100 business days. Japanese customers face an even longer wait of approximately 120 business days.
PSA also announced improvements to its Standard and Priority grading services, reducing estimated turnaround times by 20 business days apiece. Standard submissions now carry a 70-to-80-business-day estimate, while Priority orders are expected to take 50 to 60 business days. These revised estimates apply to submissions beginning Oct. 28.
Of course, there’s a sizable Copperajah in the room related to this news: PSA’s enormous existing backlog of 7.2 million collectibles.
While the company’s backlog has fallen by one million items since Oct. 6, it remains 2.2 million above the company’s original target for fully reopening services. It’s progress, certainly, but far from a clarion “all clear.”
According to the company, submissions during April and May 2026 reached 2.5 times the volume recorded during the same period last year, overwhelming its grading operations. Despite increasing graded item output by nearly 50% in 2026, PSA is still working through a mountain of overdue submissions.
“Feedback from collectors is heard and directly informs how we are reopening our value services,” said PSA President Ryan Hoge in the announcement, acknowledging that the company still has considerable work ahead to catch up.
What PSA’s Value Tier Reopening Means for Pokémon Collectors
The reopening comes amid an extraordinary year for high-end graded Pokémon cards. Recent auction results include a PSA 10 Art Academy Pikachu fetching $8.4 million (the second-highest total ever for Pokémon TCG card), a PSA 10 Lily-Chan Pikachu attracting $660,000, and an exceptionally rare PSA 10 Aquapolis Lugia reaching $360,000 amid excitement surrounding 30th Celebration.
Naturally, the overwhelming majority of cards submitted to PSA won’t approach those astronomical figures. The returning Value tier should nevertheless appeal to collectors with more modest holdings, particularly those unwilling to pay a premium for faster service, even with the increased price for the grading tier.
PSA says new Value submissions will be processed behind existing orders, with a lower-priced Value Bulk service also set for a return in the future. For collectors, it’s certainly a step in the right direction — just don’t expect that newly graded Classic Collection Charizard back before Christmas.
