PSA Reverses Course on Minimum Grades
An old feature for card submitters has returned, and gives more control over the order back to the customer. PSA announced via their social media that they were re-adding the minimum grade feature for submitters, allowing you to determine if they should encapsulate your card.
RELATED: Top MLB Trade Candidates and Their Cards
Your card, your call.
— PSAcard (@PSAcard) May 7, 2025
Set the lowest grade you’ll accept and choose what happens if results fall short.
The feature is live for online submissions at Value Plus and above. pic.twitter.com/MaU9DfVo4l
When submitting, the customer can set a minimum grade required to slab the card. The customer also gets to select what they would like PSA to do with the card if it doesn't meet the grade minimum you set. The customer may choose to have PSA slab the card as 'authentic,' or have them return the card raw, as it was sent in.
While it's a nice feature and gives the end consumer more control over the process, it seems like odd timing for bringing this option back. Just a month ago, PSA announced the delays in turnaround times due to a significant demand in the market right now. And according to their own FAQ section on their website, it was discontinued due to a build-up of orders coming in.
The marketing by PSA indicates they are trying to give the customer the feel of more control over their order. The monikers 'set your standard' and 'your card, your call' can be seen on their social media posts.
It isn't without it's drawbacks. The grading fee is still applied, regardless if you want PSA to slab it 'authentic' or choose to have them return it in it's original form.
On the customers side, this option helps avoid the necessity to crack a slab open if it gets an undesired grade. Many collectors would rather have a raw card than a badly graded one.
It remains to be seen what kind of effect this has on the market. You could eventually see less slabs, if customers don't want their Joe Burrow rookies in a PSA 7 slab, for example. And if this is a mechanism to distract customers from the lengthy turnaround times, it's hard to see it working. Customers undoubtably just want their cards back in a reasonable time.
However, you can't deny that it does in fact give the customer more control of their own cards.
After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz