How To Submit Your Card To Psa
Your first step is to visit PSAcard.com. In the upper righthand corner of the site, youll see a green circular button that reads Submit .
Once you click the button, youll be brought to a Sign-In screen. If you dont already have a PSA account, youll need to create one.
Following your sign in, youll fill out the following information:
- The type of item you are submitting
- The service you are requesting
- The Declared Value of the card you are submitting
- A description of each card that you are submitting
- Your shipping and billing information
And with this, youre ready to submit your card to PSA for an official grade, or whichever service you are seeking.
Can You Send Cards To Psa From Canada
You are able to send cards to PSA from Canada. Many people worry about being charged duties when the cards come back to them. In order to avoid racking up extra fees, make sure you fill out the form to have the cards PSA graded correctly. When sending cards to PSA from Canada, you will pay a fixed fee, which covers their return.
This fixed fee has coverage for up to $50,000, which is more than enough to cover most peoples returns. However, one charge Canadians can expect is a GST on the grading fees. If any cards are of higher value, this could be a higher cost.
When filling out the shipping information to send your cards to PSA, you should always put # of cards for grading in the description. It is important to keep a copy of your shipping bill. This way, if any mistakes were made and you get charged customs, you can make a claim to get a refund.
Variables That Can Affect A Cards Value
1. The Grading Company
PSA is the king of Pokémon card grading with BGS a close 2nd. Both companies command top $ for their graded cards and have proven that grades do matter in the Pokémon realm, with a BGS 9.5 1st Edition Charizard selling for nearly $73,000.00 in July.
2. Supply of the card
Pokémon cards have low populations compared to sports cards. The number of graded cards can be the biggest indicator of value, but some cards, such as Pikachu or Charizard, have insane demand regardless of populations. Supply is outmatched by current demand, and after two decades since these cards were produced, that wont change. Check the PSA 1999 Pokémon Game Population report to get more info on how limited the Base set cards are.
3. Buying Raw vs. Graded
Thanks to modern technology, getting clear photos of cards is easier than ever. That said, until you hold a card, you dont know how clean it really is. Graded cards are the safest indicator that youre getting what you want. When buying graded cards, think of the price paid for the grading and that there is no wait time besides shipping. There is much less risk buying graded cards, but raw can be the best bet to make profits faster. You never know what you can find in a binder someone is selling, but be careful and do your best to inspect those cards.
4. Surface, corners, edges, creases & centering
5. Your negotiation tactics
6. Nostalgic elements
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Prepare To Be Disappointed With Your Grades
It is really difficult to get cards graded 9s or 10s. Especially on older cards. Cards need to be centered perfectly. The have to be cut perfectly. They cant have dings to the corners, or white edges, or surface scratches. There can be no roughness on the face or edges. Look closely at the holofoil artwork for Any Scratches. Turn the card over, and look for any whiteness around the blue edges.
Many older cards you might think are perfect seem to come back as 7s or 8s. 10s basically have to be protected from the get-go taken directly from a booster pack and highly protected immediately. Most people werent doing that 20 years ago. Ive sent in about 30 cards myself and maybe got two to three cards rated 10. And these were all cards that went right from boosters to binders .
You should understand that 7s and 8s and 9s are still really good scores though! Those are Near Mint or better! Whether its comic books, coins or Pokemon Cards the higher the score, the better the selling price.
For reference here are actual average sales prices on 1st Edition Base Set Charizards on eBay March 2021
PSA 10 $311,800 Mar 2021BGS 9 $64,000 Feb 2021PSA 8 $25,000 Mar 2021PSA 7 $15,000 Mar 2021BGS 6 $14,500 Feb 2021PSA 5 $9,000 Mar 2021PSA 2 $4,000 Mar2021
How To Get Cards Graded By Psa In 2021
PSA, shorthand for Professional Sports Authenticator, is a premier brand in sports card grading. Despite the controversy over rising prices, it offers a wide array of valuable services including:
- Single card grading
- Price appraisals
- More
For our purposes, were delving into how PSA conducts its card grading process. The more familiar you are with this process and its benefits, the better equipped youll be to submit your own cards and packs to PSA for grades and appraisals.
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Why Would I Want To Get My Cards Graded
A small minority of major collectors will actually use the PSA Grading service almost to compete with other collectors to get official grades on their best and rarest cards. When a card gets graded it has its own unique reference number with PSA which can be looked up on their website, there you can find information about how many of that type of card have been graded, general card info, and how many other cards of that kind in the world share the same grade.
Other collectors may simply want to get their most rare and valuable cards graded because not only do PSA give your card a grade they also encapsulate the card to completely protect and preserve it, so not only does it score a certain grade, it will be maintained.
Some people may not be big collectors, and may simply have a couple of cards from their childhood which have sentimental value to them, the grading process is a great way of having your card evaluated and protected and preserved in PSA casing.
Take Hd Photos Of Your Cards
For your safety, make sure you take a high-definition photo of your cards and keep it as a reference once your cards are graded and returned. This would be your insurance policy if something goes wrong during the card grading process.
Now that you know more about card grading, would you have your beloved Pokemon cards graded and sold, or would you rather keep them in the album where you kept them for the longest time?
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Criteria Psa Uses To Grade Your Card
Your card is considered perfect until flaws come into play. Flaws that could decrease the grade of your card include:
- the card being miscut
- a defect in the way that your card is printed
- a card being stained
- a card having damaged edges or corners
- a card having blemishes, also known as marks
- a card image being out of focus
What Is The Psa Test
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by normal, as well as malignant, cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a mans blood. For this test, a blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis. The results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood.
The blood level of PSA is often elevated in men with prostate cancer, and the PSA test was originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1986 to monitor the progression of prostate cancer in men who had already been diagnosed with the disease. In 1994, FDA approved the use of the PSA test in conjunction with a digital rectal exam to test asymptomatic men for prostate cancer. Men who report prostate symptoms often undergo PSA testing to help doctors determine the nature of the problem.
In addition to prostate cancer, a number of benign conditions can cause a mans PSA level to rise. The most frequent benign prostate conditions that cause an elevation in PSA level are prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia . There is no evidence that prostatitis or BPH leads to prostate cancer, but it is possible for a man to have one or both of these conditions and to develop prostate cancer as well.
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What Does It Mean For A Trading Card To Be Graded Nm
Graded Baseball Cards
What does it mean to have a graded Baseball card?
First, grading is primarily about defining a cards condition in a standardized way usually by a third party professional company that offers a grading service. Professional grading services have been offered to collectors and dealers for the last decade by several companies including Beckett Grading Services , and Professional Sports Authenticator . The purpose is to have an unbiased evaluation of a cards condition so a collector or dealer can quickly determine value. Before third party grading was available determining a cards condition could be an arbitrary experience. Grading is important because the better the condition, the higher the value.
Defining a sports cards condition
In general grading companies use a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest or best example. There are some companies that include half points in their scale to further define a cards condition but, the concept is the same. For instance a grade of a 9 is better than a grade of 8.5. The following is a general guideline to each step in a grading scale. .
GEM-MT 9.5 or 10: Gem Mint
MINT 9: Mint
Inside The Hateful Pokmon Card Grading Scene
When Peter Graham noticed that people were going nuts for Pokémon cards again that grown men were sweeping packs into their shopping trolleys and pulling out guns to fend off Weedle-crazed muggers that Logan Paul had paid $150,000 for a single Charizard card, the one he wore around his neck before fighting Floyd Mayweather he thought of his childhood.
Graham, who is 30 and speaks with the controlled affability of a salesman, remembered how he used to zip through the playground, clutching an elastic band full of cards. And like the more worldly kids back then the ones who ended every school day with the best trades he saw this new craze as a business opportunity. And so he entered a new world. A world where he spends twelve happy hours a day examining and talking about Pokémon cards. And a world where his days are sometimes filled with furious, virulent abuse.
A Pokémon cards condition is determined by its grading this is the process by which a card is certified as real, rated on a scale of one to ten, and sealed in a transparent box known as a slab, protected for all eternity against sticky fingers and the elements. Grading is a billion-dollar industry dominated by three American players PSA, Beckett and CGC and a good rating from one of these big firms can send a cards value soaring.
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Is It Worth Getting Your Card Graded By Psa
If you believe that you have a potential high-value card, then it is probably worth submitting the card to receive a PSA grade.
Having the PSA stamp of approval does the following:
- Allows you to know that your card is authentic and is in good condition
- Increases your cards resale value
- Allows you to enter your card on the PSA Set Registry
- Lets potential buyers know that your card is authentic
- Provides an official metric for the quality of your card
- Allows you to compete with other sellers who have had similar cards graded by PSA
- Entitles you to the PSA storage case, one of the most effective ways to protect and display your cards
Do some research on the card you are considering having graded . If it is a card valuable enough and in good enough condition, having the PSA stamp of approval could be very much worth the cost of grading.
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How Does Bgs Grade Their Cards
BGS uses a grading scale to help them determine the quality of the card and their state. The descriptors are largely the same as the PSA descriptors. Heres what it looks like:
1 Poor9.5 GEM-MT10- Pristine
As you may see, the BGS grading system is far more complex than the PSA one. However, this can help them establish the quality of the cards in more detail. Additionally, cards are assorted with the help of labels, which helps higher-graded cards stand out. Gold and black labels are given to 9.5 and 10 cards, while 8.5 to 9 cards receive a silver label.
The labeling of BGS is often preferred to PSAs labeling . Additionally, the sub-grades will be more beneficial for those whose cards are stuck between certain grades where giving them a 9 instead of a 10 feels harsh.
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Alternatives For Grading Pokemon Cards
As demand for PSA, Beckett and CGC shot up massively this past year, the desire for alternative Pokemon card grading services increased.
People wanted their graded encapsulated quickly, cost-effectively and locally.
Now I want to take this opportunity to say a massive shout-out to their entrepreneurs who took a risk, started their own grading companies and have a strong desire to serve the Pokemon community.
But, the big players have taken years to build their reputation among collectors, so this begs the question
Should you wait for the likes of PSA, Beckett & CGC to reopen and speed up or should you try these new grading companies that have sprouted up?
Heres my take
When to Hold Out For The Bigger Companies to Open
- You have vintage Pokemon cards in near mint or better condition even more so if Holographic, 1st Edition, Error Cards, or rare Promos.
- Previous cards have sold for a considerable amount of money the same card graded by a lesser known company wont be as valuable.
- You have a valuable card and youre not looking for flip it quickly.
When to Try a New Grading Company
Ultimately, it comes down to you as a collector. If you like the idea of simply having your cards graded, protected and scored, then absolutely go for it and try these new companies.
But if you have cards that have high potential value, then Id probably wait.
No 5 1999 Pokmon Super Secret Battle No 1 Trainer Card Psa 10
The card was designed by Hideki Kazam displaying the outline of Mewtwo on the left filled in with a holographic shine. On the right is a Pokéball with the words Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game surrounding it and Super Secret Battle printed below. The card reads The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournaments champion is recognized here, and this honor is praised. By presenting this card, you may gain preferential entry into the Secret Super Battle. According to Heritage Auctions there were seven regional tournaments in which the winners received this card along with the location to compete in a secret tournament. Hence the name: Super Secret Battle. There are only seven examples graded through PSA with six of the cards in PSA Gem-Mint 10 condition. Only a select few players ever earned this card which helped it reach its $90,000 APR.
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Submit The Card To A Card
There is really only one way to have a Pokemon card graded, and thats to submit it for examination to a third party company.
There are several trading card rating companies, although some are more notable than others. A few of the more well-known ones with solid reputations are Professional Sports Authenticators, Beckett Grading Services, and Sportscard Guaranty.
The process of submitting a card one wants officially graded is quite simple. Head over to the company of choice, fill out some basic information about the particular card or cards that need to be graded, and then follow the instructions provided to mail the cards in for evaluation.
Once the company receives the cards, they will be through an authentification process and then they will face a comprehensive grading examination. The card will be given a rating out of ten, with ten being the absolute best condition. Pokemon cards that receive a rating less than nine are, in most cases, not going to be worth a whole lot of money. There are a few exceptions to this rule, of course.
When a submitted card has gotten its official rating, it will then be encapsulated in a protective case. The case will receive a label at the top that shows the rating it earned as well as the name of the company that graded it. Finally, the Pokemon card will be mailed back to its owner.
The Toughest Of Them All
Heres the truth every collector in this world has his own most trusted card grader. The companies mentioned above have a great reputation when it comes to grading Pokemon cards, but at the end of the day, PSA is the King. They are the Oscar award that every card collectors aim to get one day.
Lets put it this way: CGC gives 10s out like candy while PSA 10s are extremely hard to get. This makes a card with a PSA rating of 9 more valuable than a CGC 10. However, recent forums tell us that Becket is stepping up their grading game, placing it at the middle of the grading ladder.
To give you an idea of how strict PSA is, lets look at their Pop Report for Trading Card Games 20 years after the release of the first Pokemon card:
Out of 122,343 TCG that they received in 2016, they only graded a total of 55,536 a GEM-MT 10! Thats below 50%!
So, even if it seems that PSA, CGC, and BGS have similar grading systems , it does not mean that their mint cards are equivalent in the trading world.
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