- Send your baseball cards to a reliable grading service like PSA, Beckett, CSG, or SGC to have them authenticated and graded.
- Card grading costs around $15–25 USD per card for standard services, but it may be more if you have valuable cards or want a faster turnaround time.
- Expect your cards to come back within 2 months after sending them to a grading service.
Best Card Grading Services
Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) PSA is one of the most reputable and trusted grading services by baseball card collectors. Because they have a simple grading scale and clear, consistent labels, you’ll usually get a higher price when you sell after having them graded by PSA. Cost: Expect to pay around $15–25 USD per card you send in for grading. If you have a card that’s more valuable than $500 USD, you may have to pay $75 USD or more for grading. It may take around 2 months to receive your graded cards after you send them, but you can pay additional fees for turnaround times within 2 weeks. PSA may also attend trading card conventions if you want to get your cards graded in person. Check their calendar to see if they’re coming to an area near you.
Beckett Grading Services (BGS) Beckett grades baseball cards dating back to the 1880s and have been voted one of the best grading services in the industry. After Beckett inspects and grades your baseball cards, they put them in tamper-proof cases to ensure that no one tries to open or damage them. They also offer additional subgrades to check corners, edges, and printing that could increase your cards’ values. Cost: Standard grading costs around $16–18 USD per card if you get 10 graded at a time. If you want to send in fewer cards or want a faster turnaround time, expect to pay around $22–40 USD. Beckett usually takes about 2 months to grade cards, but you’re able to pay for a quicker turnaround time if you want your cards graded within a few days. While Beckett doesn’t offer in-person grading, you may be able to drop off cards you want graded at their office in Plano, TX if you don’t want to risk sending your cards by mail.
Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG) CSG is backed by the leading grading services for coins, money, and comic books, so they’re a trustworthy choice for your baseball cards. They inspect your cards and use accurate AI tools to help speed up the grading process so you get your cards back sooner than other services. Every card you send to CSG gets a seal of authenticity once it’s been graded so you know it’s genuine. Cost: CSG charges $12 USD per card if you send in at least 25 cards at a time. Otherwise, expect to pay around $15–20 USD for their standard services. CSG has a quicker turnaround time than other grading services, so expect to get your cards back within about 20 days of sending them.
Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC) SGC has been around since the late 90s and is trusted for both vintage and modern baseball cards. Because they offer grading with no minimum card amounts and quick turnaround times, collectors rely on SCG as one of the most cost-effective options. However, cards graded by SGC may have a slightly lower value than those graded by PSA or other services. Cost: Expect to pay around $18–24 USD per baseball card that you send in to get graded. Usually, SGC has a turnaround time of 5–10 business days, but you can pay extra for expedited service within 1–2 days.
How does baseball card grading work?
You choose valuable, undamaged baseball cards to get graded. Start by organizing your cards by sets or age to see what you have in your collection. As you’re looking through your baseball cards, choose ones that have straight edges, unbent corners, and unscratched images to get graded since they’ll be the most valuable. Look up each card on a site like eBay to check what they’re currently selling for. If they’re selling for more than the cost of a grading service, then they’re the perfect candidates for sending in. Cards for popular baseball players or players who have good records are also valuable and worth getting professionally graded.
You choose a grading service and fill out a submission form. Pick one of the grading services, and fill out an online form listing all of the cards that you’re sending in. Write down the brand, player name, year, card number, and the estimated value of each card so the service has a detailed log of the cards you’re getting graded. Grading services have different price levels that affect the turnaround time. If you want to receive your cards faster, opt for a higher price level.
You pack and ship your cards to the grading service. Put all of the cards you’re sending in into card sleeves, and then sandwich them between 2 pieces of cardboard for an extra layer of protection. Wrap the packaged cards in bubble wrap and seal them in a box for shipping. Include a copy of your order confirmation in the box. Address the package to the grading service you’re using and send it through any shipping provider, like the USPS, FedEx, or UPS. Each grading service may have slightly different packing instructions, so be sure to follow the directions you’re given when you submit your form. Get shipping insurance on your baseball cards. That way, you’ll get reimbursed for the value of your cards if the package gets lost or damaged.
The grading service inspects your cards and assigns grades. When the grading service receives your cards, they’ll first check to make sure that your cards are authentic and haven’t been altered in any way. Then, they’ll carefully look over your card to check the corners, edges, centering on the printing, and surface damage. Once they determine the quality of your card, they’ll give it a grade on a scale of 1–10, where 10 is pristine mint condition. Some grading services offer half-grades or subgrades for corners and edges for an extra fee.
The grading service encapsulates your cards in plastic holders. After assigning a grade, the service seals your card in a tamper-proof hard case. They’ll attach a label with your card’s information and grade at the top of the case so it’s easy to see at a glance.
The grading service mails the cards back to you. Once your card has been graded and sealed, they’ll carefully pack the cards up and mail them back to you within the turnaround time. Depending on which grading service you chose, you may get your cards back within a few weeks, but it may take up to 2 months.
Benefits of Grading Baseball Cards
You ensure your cards are authentic and unaltered. Some card sellers may try to pass off cards that have been trimmed or recolored as originals to buyers, which can affect their value. When you send your cards to get graded, they’ll confirm that they are genuine and still in their original condition so you have some peace of mind. Card grading also prevents people from tampering with cards after they’ve been encapsulated since the case will show any signs of alteration.
You’re able to check how much collectors will pay for your cards. Because collectors want to know the quality of what they purchase, many will only buy rare baseball cards if they’ve been graded. Once your cards have grades, you’re able to look for the same card on online marketplaces to see how much they’re selling for. That way, if you plan on selling your baseball cards, you can list them for a similar price.
Your cards stay protected in their current condition. After grading services encapsulate your card, there’s no risk of it getting damaged or altered in any way. Because the baseball card’s value is based on its condition, you won’t have to stress about accidentally damaging your card and potentially losing money when you sell it.
Is it worth grading all your baseball cards?
No, avoid grading low-value cards you don’t plan on selling. If you look up a card and it’s not selling for more than the cost of grading, then it’s not worth sending it in since you’ll lose money. Cards that have been played with or have a lot of visible damage may also receive low grades, which are more difficult to sell. If you’re just collecting baseball cards for fun and don’t plan on reselling them, then save your money instead of sending them to a grading service.
Alternatives to Grading
Use a card grading app for an unofficial grade. Phone apps like CollX or TrueGrade let you scan a picture of your baseball cards to assess their quality for free. The app will check everything from the corners, edges, centering, and surface quality and assign the card an unofficial grade. Even though the grade isn’t certified by any services, it still gives you a good idea of whether or not your cards are in good condition or valuable. If your card gets an 8 or higher on an app, consider sending it to a grading service for an official grade if you want to resell it.
Use PSA Photograde to compare your card to graded versions. PSA Photograde shows examples of cards of every grade from 1–10 and explains the reasons why they received the grade. Click through the example images and compare them to your cards. That way, you have an idea of the grade your cards may get assigned without paying for the service.
Comments
0 comment