PSA Value Grading Is Still Paused: What to Do With Your Cards Until It Reopens

PSA's Value grading is still paused, and PSA hasn't given a date for it to come back. Its October 6 update put the backlog at 8.2 million cards against a 5 million target, and the cheapest open tier is the new Standard level at $59.99 a card. If you've got a stack of raw cards you meant to send at Value prices, you've got three choices: pay for Standard now, send them to another grader, or wait. Whichever you pick, store them in a penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid, the format PSA asks for, so they're ready to ship the day you decide.

PSA updates its backlog every two weeks, and every backlog figure on this page is from the October 6 update. Prices and turnarounds were checked on PSA's and CGC's own pages on October 7.

Where the PSA Backlog Stands

As of PSA's October 6, 2026 update, the active grading backlog is 8.2 million units, down from 9 million on September 22. It was 12.4 million on July 28, the highest figure on the tracker since its June 30 entry, so it's down 4.2 million, about 34 percent, in ten weeks. PSA's four Value tiers (Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max) have been closed to new orders since June 2. The cheapest open tier is Standard, at $59.99 a card for cards worth up to $1,000, with an estimated turnaround of 90 to 100 business days.

PSA update	Backlog	Change from previous
June 30	12.0 million	-
July 14	11.0 million	-1.0 million
July 28	12.4 million	+1.4 million
August 11	11.85 million	-0.55 million
August 25	10.9 million	-0.95 million
September 8	9.9 million	-1.0 million
September 22	9.0 million	-0.9 million
October 6	8.2 million	-0.8 million

Backlog figures are from PSA's backlog tracker. The change column is calculated from them.

The figure is a net count: cards graded come off, and new orders go on. PSA kept its higher tiers open through the pause and added Standard on September 14, so new cards have been arriving the whole time. A smaller drop doesn't have to mean PSA graded fewer cards. It can mean more came in.

Bottom line: The backlog has fallen every two weeks since July 28, by 0.8 to 1.0 million each time since late August. It's still 3.2 million above the level PSA set as its target.

When Will PSA Value Grading Reopen?

PSA hasn't said. Its October 6 update says sustained progress "puts us on path to assess reopening additional service tiers in the coming months." That's a commitment to look at reopening, not a date, and it doesn't say which tiers come back first.

PSA's timeline has moved twice. When PSA announced the pause on May 28, it set the 5 million target and projected "up to four months" to reach it. Four months from the June 2 pause was early October. The tracker page now says PSA's projections anticipate "5-6 months" to reach 5 million, but it doesn't say where the count starts. Counted from the pause, that's November 2 to December 2. Counted from October 7, it's March 7 to April 7, 2027. On September 8, PSA wrote that if the pace held, it would be in position to evaluate reopening a tier that month. What arrived in September was a new tier instead of a reopened one: Standard at $59.99, announced September 9. That announcement said the Value tiers would reopen in phases.

We can work out when the backlog would hit 5 million if the recent pace holds, though PSA hasn't promised that 5 million triggers anything. At 0.8 million every two weeks, the October 6 rate, the 3.2 million left takes four more updates, which lands on the December 1 update. The trend makes us less sure of that: the last two updates each cut 0.1 million less than the one before, 1.0 million, then 0.9, then 0.8. If that slowdown keeps going, the line flattens out above 5 million. Both are straight-line projections from PSA's own numbers, not forecasts, and one big week of new orders can move either.

Bottom line: Don't plan around Value coming back in October. Our straight-line projection reaches 5 million around December 1, PSA hasn't tied a reopening to that number, and it has said the Value tiers will come back in phases. If a card needs to be graded for a sale or a show before then, Value isn't an option.

What Happens to Cards Already at PSA

If you sent Value orders before June 2, you don't need to do anything. PSA's May 28 announcement says "all active submissions will continue to be processed under the submitted turnaround times." The tracker adds that active Value and Bulk orders "retain priority in our production queue, ensuring new Standard orders are processed behind items already in our care."

That second line matters if you're thinking about Standard. A Standard order placed today is processed behind the Value and Bulk cards already at PSA, and PSA doesn't say whether the 90 to 100 day estimate allows for that. PSA also extended Collectors Club memberships when it paused the Value tiers.

Bottom line: Orders already in PSA's hands keep their place in line. New Standard orders go to the back of it.

PSA Grading Tiers and Prices Right Now

PSA reorganized its service levels on September 14. Regular became Priority, Walk-Through became Premier, Express went to $199, and Standard was added below them. Here's what's open, as listed on PSA's trading card grading page:

Tier	Price per card	Max value	Estimated turnaround
Value Bulk, Value	Paused	$500	Not taking orders
Value Plus, Value Max	Paused	Not listed	Not taking orders
Standard	$59.99	$1,000	90 to 100 business days
Priority	$79.99	$1,500	70 to 80 business days
Express	$199	$2,500	20 to 30 business days
Super Express	$349	$5,000	10 to 15 business days
Premier	$599	$10,000	7 to 10 business days

Prices, value caps and turnarounds are PSA's published figures, checked October 7, 2026. PSA calls every turnaround an estimate and doesn't guarantee it. The Premium tiers above $10,000 are left out, and PSA's page lists a value cap only for Value Bulk and Value among the paused tiers.

Priority costs $20 more than Standard to cut an estimated 20 business days, about a dollar a day. Express costs $139.01 more than Standard to save about 70 business days, roughly two dollars a day. Count business days and a Standard order placed October 7 has a 90 to 100 day estimate that lands between February 10 and February 24, 2027, before holidays push it out.

Bottom line: Standard is the floor right now, and it's $59.99 with a February estimate at best. The value cap matters as much as the price: a card worth more than $1,000 can't go Standard at all.

Is PSA's $59.99 Standard Tier Worth It?

For any single card, the slab has to add at least $59.99 to what the card sells for, and that's before shipping both ways and selling fees. Pull the sold comps for the raw card and for the grade you expect, then subtract. If that gap is less than $59.99 plus your shipping and selling fees, Standard loses money on that card at the grade you expect.

Hold every card that fails that test until Value reopens. The ones that pass are cards whose graded comp sits more than $60 above the raw comp after fees, or cards you're grading to keep, where the slab is protection rather than profit.

Priority costs $20 more than Standard for an estimate 20 business days shorter: January 13 to 27 instead of February 10 to 24 for an order placed October 7. If the card isn't tied to a date, the extra $20 doesn't buy much. If it is tied to a date, Express at $199 is the first tier whose estimate lands this year, November 4 to 18 for an order placed October 7.

Bottom line: Send Standard only for cards where the graded comp clears the raw comp by more than $59.99 plus your shipping and selling fees. Skip Priority unless the 20 business days matter to you, and hold everything else.

Should You Send to CGC or SGC Instead?

CGC's lowest tiers cost $17 and $20 a card, against $59.99 for PSA Standard. CGC's fee page lists Economy at $20 a card for cards worth up to $1,000 with a 90-day estimate, and Bulk at $17 for cards up to $500 with a 150-day estimate, as of October 7. CGC doesn't say whether those are calendar or business days. Economy has the same $1,000 cap as PSA Standard for $39.99 less per card, $399.90 less on a stack of ten.

SGC moved the other way. It raised its entry tier from $18 to $50 effective September 2, according to Sports Illustrated, citing demand and longer turnaround times. That's still $9.99 under PSA Standard. Both graders have changed prices or turnarounds this year, so check each fee page on the day you send.

The fee isn't the only cost. Whether a CGC or SGC slab sells for what the same grade sells for at PSA is a question for your card's sold comps. Our grading company comparison covers PSA, BGS, SGC and CGC side by side.

Switching graders also changes what the slabs fit in. A CGC slab has PSA's 80.25 mm width and is 0.75 mm shorter, so it fits anything cut for PSA, but at 7.50 mm thick it fits 43 to a 12-inch row against 55 for PSA. An SGC slab is 86.25 mm wide, 6.00 mm wider than PSA, and won't go in a slot cut for PSA at all. If your case or foam is cut for PSA slabs, find that out before the SGC order comes back, not after. Our PSA slab dimensions guide has every holder we've measured, and the PSA slab case guide covers which case to buy.

Bottom line: CGC Bulk at $17 is the cheapest tier on this page for cards up to $500, and Economy at $20 is the cheapest for cards up to $1,000. Whether either is the cheapest way to get the card sold depends on its comps. Mixing graders means sizing storage to the largest slab you'll own.

How to Store Cards That Are Waiting to Be Graded

Store them the way PSA wants them shipped, and they'll be ready the day you send. PSA's shipping guide asks for each card in a clear penny sleeve, then in a semi-rigid holder, with both sides of the card fully visible. It says not to use "toploaders, tape, pull tabs, or sticky notes," and to avoid solid or opaque sleeves, which can cause delays.

A card stored in a toploader has to come out and go into a semi-rigid before it ships to PSA, which is one more handling than it needed. Our penny sleeves are clear, PVC-free and 2 5/8 by 3 5/8 inches. Our semi-rigid holders take standard cards up to 35 pt. A sleeved card in a semi-rigid can sit in a box until you decide, then go straight into the submission.

Plan the box around the semi-rigid, not the card. We measured our semi-rigids at 122.75 by 83.75 mm, against 101.90 by 77.20 mm for our toploaders, so a box sized for toploaders is about 21 mm too short. Empty, a semi-rigid is 0.70 mm thick, and the card and its penny sleeve add to that. We haven't measured a stack of loaded semi-rigids, so we won't put a per-inch count on them. The semi-rigid and toploader comparison covers the rest of the difference.

Stand them on edge in a box sized to the semi-rigid, snug enough that they don't slide and lean.
Keep the box out of sunlight. Our UV and fading guide covers what light does to card stock.
Keep it somewhere with steady temperature and humidity. Our card care guide covers humidity.
Group cards by the decision, not by set: one box for Standard now, one for CGC, one for waiting on Value. When Value reopens, the box is already packed.

Thick cards are the exception. Our semi-rigids take cards up to 35 pt, so for a thicker patch or relic card, check PSA's shipping guide for the holder it accepts before you pack it. Our grading prep guide covers the rest of the submission.

Bottom line: Penny sleeve, then semi-rigid, standing in a box out of the light. It's the format PSA asks for, and it means each card gets handled once between now and the submission.

What Not to Buy or Do While You Wait

Don't buy one-touches for cards headed to a grader. They're display holders. A 35 pt one-touch is 6.75 mm thick, and the card has to come out of it to ship. Our one-touches are for cards you've decided to keep raw and look at.
Don't store submission cards in toploaders if PSA is the likely destination. PSA's guide says not to use them, so every card means a swap later.
Don't pay for Priority only because you're tired of waiting. It's $20 more a card for an estimate that's still months out. Pay for speed only when the card is tied to a date.
Don't send cards worth more than $1,000 at Standard. A card worth more has to go in a tier with a higher cap, Priority at $1,500 or above.
Don't buy a slab case sized only for PSA if some of these cards are going to CGC or SGC. Check the measured slab dimensions for every grader you'll use first.
Don't tape, tab or label the semi-rigids. PSA's shipping guide says not to use tape, pull tabs or sticky notes.

On a stack of 50 cards, choosing Priority over Standard costs $1,000 more, $20 times 50, and storing them in toploaders means 50 swaps before they ship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PSA Value grading still paused?

Yes. PSA paused all four Value tiers on June 2, 2026, and they were still closed at the October 6 update. PSA says it's on a path to assess reopening tiers "in the coming months" but hasn't given a date.

When will PSA Value come back?

PSA hasn't said. Its target was a backlog of 5 million, and at the October 6 pace our projection reaches it in about four updates, around December 1. PSA hasn't promised that hitting 5 million reopens Value, and it said reopening will come in phases.

How big is the PSA backlog right now?

PSA reported 8.2 million units on October 6, 2026, down from 12.4 million on July 28. PSA updates the figure about every two weeks on its backlog tracker.

What is PSA's Standard tier?

Standard is the tier PSA added on September 14, 2026: $59.99 a card for cards worth up to $1,000, with an estimated 90 to 100 business days. It's the cheapest tier open while Value is paused, and new Standard orders are processed behind Value orders already at PSA.

Is PSA Standard worth $59.99?

Only for cards where the graded value clears the raw value by more than $59.99 plus shipping and selling fees. For cards where the grade adds less than that, it isn't. Hold those, or compare CGC's $20 Economy tier.

Can I use toploaders for a PSA submission?

No. PSA's shipping guide says not to use toploaders, tape, pull tabs or sticky notes. It asks for each card in a clear penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid holder, with both sides visible.

What happens to my Value order that's already at PSA?

It keeps going. PSA says active submissions are processed under the turnaround they were submitted with, and that Value and Bulk orders placed before the pause keep priority over new Standard orders.

Is CGC faster or cheaper than PSA right now?

It's cheaper: $20 for CGC Economy against $59.99 for PSA Standard, both capped at $1,000. CGC's page gives 90 days and PSA's gives 90 to 100 business days, and CGC doesn't say whether its days are business days, so check before comparing speed. Whether the CGC slab sells for as much as the PSA slab depends on the card.

How should I store raw cards I plan to grade?

In a clear penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid holder, standing on edge in a box out of sunlight. That's the format PSA asks for, so the cards ship without being handled again.

Did SGC raise its prices too?

Yes. SGC raised its entry tier from $18 to $50 effective September 2, 2026, according to Sports Illustrated's report on the change. SGC cited rising demand and longer turnaround times.

The Bottom Line

PSA Value is still paused, and PSA hasn't given a date. Our straight-line projection from its numbers reaches 5 million around December 1, and PSA hasn't tied a reopening to that number. The backlog is falling, 8.2 million at the October 6 update against a 5 million target, but each of the last two updates cut a little less than the one before. PSA said four months in May, and its tracker now says five to six without saying where the count starts.

In the meantime, the cheapest PSA option is Standard at $59.99 with a February estimate, processed behind the Value orders already at PSA. Send Standard only for cards where the grade adds more than $59.99 plus fees. CGC Economy at $20 is the low-cost alternative if the card sells as well in a CGC slab, and switching graders means storage sized for the bigger slab.

Everything else should wait in the format PSA asks for: a clear penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid, standing in a box out of the light. Our semi-rigid holders take cards up to 35 pt and are listed for grading submissions. When the slabs come back, our graded sleeves are cut per grader, and our slab cases are sized to the sleeved SGC footprint, which takes every standard holder.

The backlog

Deciding what to send

Storing cards while you wait