PSA Value Bulk hit $24.99 per card on February 10, up from $18.99 for TCG collectors who were using the old Bulk tier. CGC pushed Standard grading from $45 to $55 and Express from $85 to $100 a month earlier. Both companies blame record submission volume, but the practical result is the same: grading anything under $75 raw at PSA no longer makes financial sense for most collectors.
What Changed at PSA and CGC
PSA changed prices on Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Value Max, and Regular, effective February 10, 2026. The biggest move was consolidating the two cheapest tiers. TCG Bulk and Value Bulk have been consolidated into a single Collectors Club-only service at $24.99 per card. Increases range from $3 to $5 per card across the affected tiers, with Value Bulk at $24.99 and Regular at $79.99 anchoring the new price sheet. Express and all higher-tier service levels maintain their current pricing.
While the price increase has affected five service levels, the increased turnaround time has been changed for only three: Value Plus, Value Max, and Regular. In 2021, PSA was grading approximately 15,000 cards per day globally. Today, PSA grades approximately 90,000 cards per day, but submission growth keeps outpacing capacity.
CGC announced that as of January 6, 2025, consumers would see a price increase for their services across the board. Bulk went from $14 to $15 per card. Economy from $17 to $18. Standard climbed from $45 to $55, and Express from $85 to $100. CGC had already implemented a $2 increase for its Bulk and Economy tiers in May 2025, meaning the cumulative impact of this hike on top of May 2025's increase pushed rates up by roughly 20% for regular and popular services. Then CGC bumped Bulk and Economy again in late March 2026, marking two increases in three months.
PSA vs. CGC: The Cost Gap in 2026
Here's how the two biggest grading companies stack up tier-by-tier after their 2026 increases:
| Service Type | PSA (Feb 2026) | CGC (Jan 2026) | Per-Card Savings w/ CGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | $24.99 | $15.00 | $9.99 |
| Economy / Value | $32.99 | $18.00 | $14.99 |
| Standard / Regular | $79.99 | $55.00 | $24.99 |
| Express | $149.00 | $100.00 | $49.00 |
PSA Value Bulk requires Collectors Club membership ($99-$249/yr) and a 20-card minimum. CGC Bulk requires a 25-card minimum. Prices reflect January (CGC) and February (PSA) 2026 changes.
The gap is stark. On a 20-card PSA Value Bulk submission, you're paying $499.80 before shipping. The same batch at CGC Bulk runs $300. That's $200 back in your pocket, and CGC bulk offers a 40-day turnaround compared to PSA Value Bulk's 95 days.
The premium PSA-graded cards command at resale has also narrowed on modern pulls. The PSA 10 premium has collapsed from 25-30% to just 5-10% for modern Pokemon cards. For vintage and high-value sports cards, PSA still commands a meaningful edge. But for a modern Surging Sparks pull? The math has shifted.
What Collectors Should Do Now
At $24.99 per card plus $10-20 in shipping and supplies per submission, you need a card worth at least $75-100 raw with strong PSA 10 potential to justify grading at PSA's cheapest tier. Here are three practical moves for the rest of 2026:
Pre-screen everything. A card that comes back PSA 7 didn't just waste $25 in fees; it probably lowered the card's sale price compared to selling raw. According to a CardGrade.io study of 32,000+ cards, most cards grade below the PSA 8 threshold, the point where the $25 per card fee exceeds the value added by grading.
Use CGC for volume. CGC economy at $18 with a 20-day turnaround is hard to beat for modern TCG cards where you don't need the PSA label. The resale gap on modern CGC 10s has collapsed to the point where the faster turnaround and lower cost make it the smarter play for bulk submissions.
Reserve PSA for cards that justify the premium. Vintage cards, key rookies worth $500+, and anything where the PSA 10 population is low enough to command real resale value. PSA generally costs 10-20% more than BGS and CGC for equivalent service levels, but PSA grades command higher resale premiums in most categories. That trade-off only works on cards with enough value to absorb the fee.
SGC and TAG remain cheaper still. TAG runs about $15-20 per card with faster turnaround, though secondary market recognition for both is limited compared to PSA and CGC.
PSA's pricing makes business sense for PSA. It does not make business sense for you on cards worth under $100 raw. The hobby is splitting into two tracks: high-end cards flow to PSA because the resale premium covers the cost, and everything else goes to CGC or stays in a top loader. That's not a bad outcome for collectors who adjust.
The bigger issue is turnaround times. Paying $33 for a PSA Value submission with a multi-month wait while CGC processes Economy cards in 20 days for $18 is a hard sell. PSA's brand still carries weight on the secondary market, but patience has limits, and so does collector loyalty after three price hikes in 18 months.
“The price increase is certainly going to have an effect on what I send in. I used to send in cards £50+ and any cards purely for my PC, now I'm only going to send in cards £100+.”
— Reddit r/psagrading“It's cheaper to send in the same number of cards to TAG for a faster turnaround time. No reason to send to PSA now at this point.”
— Reddit r/sportscards“Time for PSA to get left behind. The quality of their service does not match the price point they are offering.”
— Reddit r/PokemonTCG“The price increase is whatever, but the time increase is the real issue here. Got me sending cards to CGC now for the first time ever in 5 years.”
— Reddit r/PokeInvesting“When PSA first went up it wasn't long before TAG went from $15 to $20. Now CGC is going up as well. It's unfortunate what's happened to the grading scene.”
— Reddit r/CGCCardsRethinking your submission strategy? Check out our grading cost calculator to find the right service level and company for every card in your stack.