PSA cuts Standard and Priority turnaround by 20 days and reopens Value grading at $39.99 on Oct. 29

PSA's Standard level is now estimated at 70–80 business days and Priority at 50–60 for orders from today. On Thursday, Value reopens worldwide at $39.99 per card, behind every order already in line. Value Bulk stays closed.

By The Hobby Close · October 28, 2026, 11:20 AM ET· Source: PSA →

The Hobby Close: PSA cuts Standard and Priority turnaround by 20 days and reopens Value grading at $39.99 on Oct. 29

Image courtesy of PSA

PSA is speeding up its two main grading levels and bringing back its cheapest one. In an announcement published Wednesday, PSA said the estimated turnaround for Standard drops from 90–100 to 70–80 business days, and Priority from 70–80 to 50–60. The new estimates apply to orders submitted from Oct. 28 at 8 a.m. PT; orders already at PSA keep the terms they were submitted under, though PSA says they may also come back faster.

Then on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. PT, PSA's Value level reopens in every PSA region: $39.99 per card in the U.S., a $500 maximum insured value, and an estimated turnaround of 90–100 business days (120 in Japan). New Value orders go to the back of the line, behind every order already at PSA. Value Bulk stays closed.

PSA also explained the backlog. Submissions in April and May ran 2.5 times last year's volume, and more than half of the orders now past their estimates arrived during five weeks that spring. The company says its weekly output is up nearly 50 percent in 2026, that it has graded 59 million items in the past three years (more than the 57 million in the 23 years before), and that the backlog is now 7.2 million units, against the 5 million target it set in May for fully reopening every level. "Feedback from collectors is heard and directly informs how we are reopening our value services," said Ryan Hoge, President of PSA and Grading at Collectors.

PSA's full U.S. fee schedule after the change: Value $39.99 (declared value up to $500, est. 90–100 business days, from Oct. 29); Standard $59.99 (up to $1,000, 70–80 days); Priority $79.99 (up to $1,500, 50–60 days); Express $199 (up to $2,500, 20–30 days); Super Express $349 (up to $5,000, 10–15 days); Premier $599 (up to $10,000, 7–10 days). Turnaround estimates are PSA's and start when PSA checks the cards in. Authorized dealers and group submitters that pass PSA's fees through will reflect the same changes.

Why collectors should care: Value is the level most raw-card submitters were waiting for, and it is the first lower-priced option PSA has offered since it paused Value services in the spring. The catch is the queue: a Value order placed Thursday starts behind 7.2 million items, so the 90–100 day estimate is the earliest case, not a promise. If a card is worth more than $500 or you want it back this year, Standard and Priority are now meaningfully faster than they were yesterday.