Card grading has been around for a long while now, and it’s a big part of the sports card hobby, but how much does it cost to get a card graded?
Well, the cost of grading per card depends on multiple factors, such as the grading company you choose, like picking PSA or SGC or BGS, among others.
Regardless of the company you go with, you can expect to pay at least $12-$15 per card for grading, but that’s for the lowest value cards; I’ve covered everything you need to know further down.
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How Much Is PSA Card Grading?
PSA’s service levels:
TCG Bulk (Collectors Club exclusive): $14.99 per card – Card must have a declared value of $200 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 45 days. Minimum 20 card submission.
Value Bulk (Collectors Club exclusive): $18.99 per card – Card must have a declared value of $500 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 45 days. Minimum 20 card submission.
Value: $24.99 per card – Card must have a declared value of $500 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 45 days.
Value Plus: $39.99 per card – Card must have a declared value of $500 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 20 days.
Regular: $74.99 per card – Card must have a declared value of $1,500 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 15 days.
Express: $129 per card – Card must have a declared value of $2,500 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 10 days.
Super Express: $249 per card – Card must have a declared value of $5,000 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 5 days.
Walk-Through: $499 per card – Card must have a declared value of $10,000 or less. Estimated turnaround time is 5 days.
Premium: $799+ per card – Card’s declared value is $10,000 or more. Estimated turnaround time is 5 days.
How Much Is Beckett Card Grading?
BGS’ service levels:
Base: $14.95 per card without subgrades, $17.95 per card with subgrades – Estimated turnaround time is 45+ business days.
Standard: $34.95 per card with subgrades – Estimated turnaround time is 20-25 business days.
Express: $79.95 per card with subgrades – Estimated turnaround time is 7-10 business days.
Priority: $124.95 per card with subgrades – Estimated turnaround time is 2-3 business days.
Next Day: $400 per card – Estimated turnaround time is 1 business day.
Immediate: $500 per card – Estimated turnaround time is the same day.
How Much Is SGC Card Grading?
SGC’s service levels:
<$1,500 Declared Value: $15 per card for 5-10 business day turnaround time, $40 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
<$3,500 Declared Value: $85 per card for 5-10 business day turnaround time, $125 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
<$7,500 Declared Value: $250 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
<$20,000 Declared Value: $500 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
<$50,000 Declared Value: $1,000 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
<$100,000 Declared Value: $2,000 per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
>$100,000 Declared Value: $3,750+ per card for 1-2 business day turnaround time.
How Much Is HGA Card Grading?
HGA’s service levels:
2-Day: $35 per card for VIP members, $40 per card for non VIP members.
10-Day: $25 per card for VIP members, $30 per card for non VIP members.
60-Day: $14 per card for VIP members, $16 per card for non VIP members.
How Much Is ISA Card Grading?
ISA’s service levels:
2 Business Days: $22 per card.
5 Business Days: $18 per card.
10 Business Days: $12 per card.
Other Costs Of Card Grading
So we’ve established that the bulk of the cost when it comes to grading a card is from the grading service itself, but what other costs are involved to get a card graded?
Aside from the actual cost of grading, you’ve also got shipping costs, and any products required for the preparation and packaging of the cards.
Once you’ve selected the cards you want to submit, and you’ve picked the grading service for you, next you obviously want to make sure you’re packaging your cards safely to avoid damage while shipping for grading, and also prepping cards to give them the best chance of grading as high as possible.
Here’s a list of products you might need:
Don't Only Consider The Cost When Picking A Grading Service
As I mentioned already, there’s no straight answer to the question ‘how much is card grading?’ because it depends on multiple factors, which makes it hard to give a quick answer.
The biggest factor is the grading company you choose – there are numerous companies to choose from, which all have different prices and service levels.
Grading companies operate with different service levels and different pricing models, which backs up the point I made previously, that the cost of grading will depend largely on your choice of grading service.
However, should cost be the only factor to consider when picking a grading company to use?
No, in my opinion, there are a few other factors to consider:
If you’re looking to sell the card after grading, then it’s important to know that certain more established grading labels, like PSA and BGS, add more value to a card than some of the lesser established companies.
You’ll usually have to wait longer for the process to be completed with those bigger companies, because the demand and amount of cards being submitted is a lot higher, so if a quick turnaround time is key, then they might not be the best option.
There’s also the reputation and thoroughness of grading – How consistent are they with their grading scale and the grades they are awarding, and are they fair with their grading?
Lastly, the other factor to consider when picking which card grading company to use, is the look of the label and slab – If you’re grading to keep as part of a collection, and you’re after a certain look, then do some research and find the label that best fits the way you want your cards to look when they’re graded.
So, as you can see, there’s more than just the prices to look at and evaluate when picking the right card grading service for your cards.
What Is The Cheapest Card Grading Service Level?
ISA offer the cheapest card grading, at $12 per card for their 10 business day service.
Of the most reputable grading companies, BGS offer the cheapest card grading option; The cost of getting a card graded with BGS is $14.95 per card for their base 45+ day service.
