PSA sets Value reopening and faster grading tiers
PSA will reopen Value grading at $39.99 on October 29, 2026. New Standard and Priority orders also get shorter estimated turnaround times.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 3 min read
PSA announced cheaper grading on October 28, 2026, with Value submissions reopening at $39.99 per card. The service starts at 11 a.m. ET on October 29, 2026. Collectors will have a lower-priced option alongside shorter estimates for new Standard and Priority orders.
Existing submissions keep their prior turnaround estimates, including orders already traveling to PSA. New Value orders will sit behind submissions already in the queue. PSA says some orders in transit might still finish sooner.
Value pricing and coverage
PSA will offer the reopened tier across Canada, Japan, Europe and the USA. TheGamer puts Value’s insurance coverage at $500 per card.
The comparable service cost $32.99 before the pause announced on May 28, 2026. The new fee adds $7 per card, an increase of 21.2%. Value carries an estimate of 90 to 100 business days.
Bulk Grading will reopen later as PSA reduces its backlog. Before the pause, that service cost members $24.99 per card. Each submission required at least 25 cards.
Standard and Priority estimates
PSA also shortened its estimates for new orders starting October 28, 2026. Standard, listed at $59.99 per card on that date, now carries 70 to 80 business days. Its prior estimate was 90 to 100 business days.
Priority’s October 28, 2026, price is $79.99 per card. Its estimate drops to 50 to 60 business days, from 70 to 80 business days.
Baseball America says Priority was PSA’s lowest-priced option during the pause until Standard arrived. Standard gave collectors another service choice before Value’s reopening.
PSA president Ryan Hoge said the company had added substantial capacity. He also said PSA still needed to address existing orders and improve the accuracy of its turnaround estimates.
Hoge said the pause gave PSA time to reassess its services while working toward faster and lower-priced options.
PSA’s backlog before reopening
The backlog stood at 7.2 million cards on October 20, 2026. PSA is reopening Value before reaching the backlog target it had set for restarting lower-priced services.
PSA paused its lower-priced tiers after a backlog of 10 million cards. The shutdown included Value Plus and Value Max, as well as Value and Value Bulk.
Submissions rushed in before the cutoff, pushing the queue to 14 million. The pause came alongside a $200 million expansion project.
The company had expected the pause to last 4 months. Higher demand continued even with the cheaper tiers closed, delaying the reopening.
In its October 28, 2026, announcement, PSA cited 59 million cards graded over 3 years. It graded 57 million across its first 23 years.
Hoge said collector feedback helped shape how PSA brought back its lower-priced services. PSA’s next scheduled backlog update is November 3, 2026.
What to do
- Confirm the $500 insurance cap fits the card you plan to submit through Value. Ask PSA which service applies if the card needs higher coverage.
- Compare the service fee and business-day estimate shown on your submission form. Check that the form reflects Value, Standard or Priority as selected.
- Check whether your order is already submitted or still in transit. Ask PSA which estimate applies before treating the shorter times as your order’s schedule.
Related: How long grading takes, grading news.