Getting trading cards graded in person sounds appealing to many collectors, but is it possible?
While it’s not common, and often not cheap either, it is possible to have cards graded in person, usually at card shows, or at least dropped-off and collected in person, with much quicker turnaround times.
I’ve gone through everything you need to know about having your cards graded in person with the biggest services, like PSA, BGS and SGC, below.
Table of Contents
Can You Get Cards Graded In Person?
If you live in the US, then it is possible to have cards graded in person by the major grading companies.
It’s also possible in other parts of the world, depending on whether there’s a card show where the grading companies are offering the service.
Where Can You Get Cards Graded In Person?
Card Shows
Both Beckett and PSA offer in-person grading at card shows throughout the year.
Both companies have pages on their website with their tentative plans for up-coming shows, and details of what services they’ll be offering.
Details of card shows Beckett will be offering grading services can be found on their website, and for PSA it’s also on their website; You have the option to sign-up for email updates for both as well.
The queues for in-person submissions can get long, and turnaround times vary.
PSA estimates in-person card grading to have a 24-hour turnaround time, but they state that can vary based on the demand.
Return shipping is often required, but it’s certainly a lot quicker than the standard submission mail process.
Does Beckett Offer In-Person Card Grading At Their Offices?
You can no longer take cards to Beckett’s offices for in-person grading.
It is something they have offered in the past, however according to their website, this was stopped mid-2020.
Does PSA Offer In-Person Card Grading At Their Offices?
PSA does offer the opportunity to drop cards off at their offices in person, but it’s not a case of having them graded there and then.
This option does, however, avoid the need to ship cards to them.
On the FAQs section of their website, PSA state:
“If you would like to drop off your items at one of our offices, this can be arranged. However, please know that we only accept submissions at our Woodbridge, NJ, office by appointment only and on a limited, case-by-case basis for high-value items and high-volume submissions at our Southern California location.”
An appointment must be arranged with their customer service team.
PSA does not accept ‘drop-offs’ for their standard trading card grading service.
Does SGC Offer In-Person Card Grading At Their Offices?
SGC do not currently offer any direct in-person card grading service.
We contacted SGC directly to ask whether there are any plans to offer grading in person in the future, this was their response:
“Unfortunately, at this time, we are not allowing the general public to drop off cards to our facility. This is not a permanent decision though. When the time comes for us to revisit our policy in regards to in person submissions, we will be sure to make plenty of announcements on our website and social media platforms.
For the time being, we recommend you to a local authorized group submission service who does have the ability to drop off cards. They submit orders on behalf of many different customers and we’re confident that you would have a pleasant experience with them.”
How Much Is It To Get Your Cards Graded In Person?
In-person card grading comes at a premium, when compared to standard card grading services which are mail submission.
PSA advertise on their website that in-person card grading counts as their ‘Express’ service at minimum; Depending on the declared value of the card they’re grading, the PSA ‘Express’ service starts at $150 per card.
Why Get Cards Graded In-Person?
Quicker
One of the big benefits of in-person grading is the turnaround time.
The top grading services, like Beckett and PSA, can have very long turnaround times for cards submitted via mail, due to the high demand.
For standard service options, collectors often wait for months to receive their graded cards back; In-person grading drastically cuts the wait time.
Card values are very fluid, and collectors who are grading to add value, and sell a card, can benefit from the extremely quick turnaround that in-person grading offers.
If you take a sports card as an example, a card’s value could sharply fall in the months waiting for standard grading via mail, because the player gets a serious injury in that time for example, and the moment to sell has passed.
More Convenient
Taking a card to a show and having it graded there and then is much less hassle than going through the usual process of mailing cards and waiting for the grading service to grade, slab and ship it back.
Safer
A fear that many collectors, who are new to card grading, have is the idea of parting with their prized possessions for such a long time, and trusting their cards don’t get damaged or lost in the mail to and from the grading companies.
While shipping cards is usually safe if the right steps are followed, there’s no better way to keep peace of mind with grading than by not having to ship cards.
By taking it yourself, you know your card won’t get damaged or lost in transit before it reaches the grading company. This is particularly beneficial for high-value cards that aren’t necessarily fully insured when being shipped.
Summary
It is possible to get cards graded in person, locally, by bringing cards to card shows.
You cannot drop off cards to SGC and BGS’ offices, but PSA do offer the chance to drop cards off, by appointment only.
Not every card show will have the opportunity to get cards graded on the day, so it’s worth checking that the grading service will be available prior to the convention.
