PSA with clear topics we can put together.

[uminnesota]

I want to focus on addressing all the key questions and issues at once — not just a few.

I’ve been thinking about starting a thread on Blowout Cards where collectors can list and discuss their most important questions and concerns about PSA.

The goal is to keep the discussion focused, constructive, and centered on clear topics — so we can collect meaningful feedback and push for accountability, rather than letting the conversation drift off course.

PSA has become too focused on profit rather than collectors. (which makes sense with Board)
Their technology and registry systems are outdated.
New set requests haven’t been added in years (they’re hoping for 2026).
Prices keep increasing.
Turnaround times remain slow.
Grading is inconsistent.
Many long-time collectors are walking away from PSA.
Too many consignments are driven by quick sales rather than true collecting.

That’s just the beginning — there are many more points we can bring PSA forward together.

It’s time for collectors to unite, ask the right questions, and demand real answers and meaningful change from PSA. We need to have answers, even if there are some things that they are still learning things. Put all things together, and not just a few questions.

Thank you

[Bosoxfan5990]

Already here: https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1285177

[discodanman45]

Thank you Nat for fixing PSA!

[88horsepower]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Thank you Nat for fixing PSA!

[RKH916]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Thank you Nat for fixing PSA!

By collectors... for collectors.

[larry25]

The #1 issue, hands down, should be how trashy and fraudulent their grading standards and results have become this year for sports cards.

It's almost like they don't care about sports collectors anymore because they are grading over 1 million TCG cards every month.

Because of that, their non-critically thinking graders unreasonably apply the same standards they use to grade seemingly perfect TCG cards with ROUND corners to sports cards with sharp corners printed on all sorts of different stock and often with inferior quality.

I have graded several thousand cards this year, and I have never seen the number of PSA 5s and 6s and 7s and 8s in my entire 20 years of grading, COMBINED, as I have in this one year.

I submit for 9s and 10s. I realize I might miss a card here or there or see a PSA 8 here or there, but the results have been absolutely insanely discouraging and offensive, and I am truly hating PSA, who I used to love.

They are ruining the hobby for sports collectors.

[88horsepower]

Originally Posted by larry25

The #1 issue, hands down, should be how trashy and fraudulent their grading standards and results have become this year for sports cards.

It's almost like they don't care about sports collectors anymore because they are grading over 1 million TCG cards every month.

Because of that, their non-critically thinking graders unreasonably apply the same standards they use to grade seemingly perfect TCG cards with ROUND corners to sports cards with sharp corners printed on all sorts of different stock and often with inferior quality.

I have graded several thousand cards this year, and I have never seen the number of PSA 5s and 6s and 7s and 8s in my entire 20 years of grading, COMBINED, as I have in this one year.

I submit for 9s and 10s. I realize I might miss a card here or there or see a PSA 8 here or there, but the results have been absolutely insanely discouraging and offensive, and I am truly hating PSA, who I used to love.

They are ruining the hobby for sports collectors.

Right there with you. I used to love PSA and was a strong defender of their services. I've gradually worn tired of the greed and lack of concern for quality. Nat Turner saw an opportunity to make a ton of money, and he's done just that at the expense of the collectors who helped make PSA a success. Prices have gone up, while quality of service has significantly dropped.

[hammertime]

Originally Posted by larry25

The #1 issue, hands down, should be how trashy and fraudulent their grading standards and results have become this year for sports cards.

It's almost like they don't care about sports collectors anymore because they are grading over 1 million TCG cards every month.

Because of that, their non-critically thinking graders unreasonably apply the same standards they use to grade seemingly perfect TCG cards with ROUND corners to sports cards with sharp corners printed on all sorts of different stock and often with inferior quality.

I have graded several thousand cards this year, and I have never seen the number of PSA 5s and 6s and 7s and 8s in my entire 20 years of grading, COMBINED, as I have in this one year.

I submit for 9s and 10s. I realize I might miss a card here or there or see a PSA 8 here or there, but the results have been absolutely insanely discouraging and offensive, and I am truly hating PSA, who I used to love.

They are ruining the hobby for sports collectors.

Yep it's ridiculous. I don't even submit much anymore, but back when I did it seemed like orders that went to the NJ facility received MUCH harsher grades than those that stayed in CA.

[corndog]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Thank you Nat for fixing PSA!

The same guy that had unknowingly purchased trimmed PSA 10s for his set registry and then several years later quietly (and knowingly) sold them off thru an auction house without disclosing they had been outed as altered.

[auburn35]

Originally Posted by corndog

The same guy that had unknowingly purchased trimmed PSA 10s for his set registry and then several years later quietly (and knowingly) sold them off thru an auction house without disclosing they had been outed as altered.

With examples like this, thought it was worth sharing a couple of Nat's company "values".

https://www.collectors.com/values

Lead With Integrity
We do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Trust is our brand and we will always make the honest and ethical decision, not necessarily the most profitable one. We are committed to intellectual and interpersonal honesty.

Put the Skunk on the Table
Bad news should be shared as early as possible. We encourage our employees to talk about the uncomfortable things, as bad news only smells worse over time with no action taken. Be transparent about what is not working and create opportunities to solve problems quickly rather than letting them fester.

[Bosoxfan5990]

Originally Posted by auburn35

With examples like this, thought it was worth sharing a couple of Nat's company "values".

https://www.collectors.com/values

Lead With Integrity
We do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Trust is our brand and we will always make the honest and ethical decision, not necessarily the most profitable one. We are committed to intellectual and interpersonal honesty.

Put the Skunk on the Table
Bad news should be shared as early as possible. We encourage our employees to talk about the uncomfortable things, as bad news only smells worse over time with no action taken. Be transparent about what is not working and create opportunities to solve problems quickly rather than letting them fester.

[CaptSpaulding]

I have been grading since the late 1990s and watched various scandals, large and small come and go with TPG as well as unexplained changes in grading standards but never have I read and heard more disgust/frustration for PSA then I do now. PSA thrives without ever grading another sports card so they will not miss us were we to all submit elsewhere.

I feel this is an opportunity for another TPG to take over the sports cards niche. Only issue is will that company end up being on Nat's radar where they sell out, like Forman, et al did? I do not blame them for taking the payout but they and all of their supporters knew exactly what Nat was going to do SGC.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by CaptSpaulding

I have been grading since the late 1990s and watched various scandals, large and small come and go with TPG as well as unexplained changes in grading standards but never have I read and heard more disgust/frustration for PSA then I do now. PSA thrives without ever grading another sports card so they will not miss us were we to all submit elsewhere.

Considering they are pumping out more slabs than ever, this isn't surprising. They damaged numerous cards one of my orders a while back but made it mostly right in the end. My biggest gripe is the lack of consistency. My gem rates shouldn't be bouncing around by more than 10% or so for the same era of stuff. I've been submitting cards for about two decades so have a pretty darn good feel for things. Second is their absolutely brutal standards for 80s and early 90s stuff. While 10s should be tough, they shouldn't require BGS 10 black label perfection. In fact, if I had a card that dang nice, I might as well just go for the BGS 10.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by CaptSpaulding

I have been grading since the late 1990s and watched various scandals, large and small come and go with TPG as well as unexplained changes in grading standards but never have I read and heard more disgust/frustration for PSA then I do now. PSA thrives without ever grading another sports card so they will not miss us were we to all submit elsewhere.

I feel this is an opportunity for another TPG to take over the sports cards niche. Only issue is will that company end up being on Nat's radar where they sell out, like Forman, et al did? I do not blame them for taking the payout but they and all of their supporters knew exactly what Nat was going to do SGC.

That may be true for now,but sooner or later all the same problems will be pissing off gaming card guys also.........i said it a year ago and ll say it again now,PSA is on a slippery slope......also the gaming card guys already have a viable option in CGC.

With SGC at this point just being a PSA slab that looks different, your right about needing a real option for sports cards.i see nothing that shows me anyone is making a move for sports cards yet.

[CaptSpaulding]

Originally Posted by f2tornado

Considering they are pumping out more slabs than ever, this isn't surprising. They damaged numerous cards one of my orders a while back but made it mostly right in the end. My biggest gripe is the lack of consistency. My gem rates shouldn't be bouncing around by more than 10% or so for the same era of stuff. I've been submitting cards for about two decades so have a pretty darn good feel for things. Second is their absolutely brutal standards for 80s and early 90s stuff. While 10s should be tough, they shouldn't require BGS 10 black label perfection. In fact, if I had a card that dang nice, I might as well just go for the BGS 10.

For me they are consistent. Consistently brutal on the grades. I grade strictly pre-1968 issues and I spend well into 6 figures each year with PSA. I used to get my share of 9s. I am submitting much better stuff the last few years and rarely get a 9. 8s are now tough to come by. What was once an 8 is now coming back as a 6 or 6.5.

[CaptSpaulding]

Originally Posted by Gary

That may be true for now,but sooner or later all the same problems will be pissing off gaming card guys also.........i said it a year ago and ll say it again now,PSA is on a slippery slope......also the gaming card guys already have a viable option in CGC.

With SGC at this point just being a PSA slab that looks different, your right about needing a real option for sports cards.i see nothing that shows me anyone is making a move for sports cards yet.

I think it is too tempting for any TPG to go where the volume is, which is TCG and modern. That said, once Collectors...I mean the public...puts SGC out of business, I think we might see someone like MBA fill the niche for vintage. I just spoke with Mike and it is clearly something he would love to do. He is well aware of the need.

[uminnesota]

I’ve been spending a lot of time reviewing the details around the PSA Vault, and I’m close to finalizing everything. Most of my cards will remain in my collection, and the rest can be sold through PSA/eBay. Everything on my end is moving in the right direction — I’m about 85% set up and getting close to 100%. I also understand that the PSA Vault is fully digital and that once the cards enter the Vault. Do you think with me doing PSA Vault will be good?

Before I move forward, I want to make sure we’re aligned on a few remaining concerns:

1. The under-$100 fee structure

This is the hesitation for me. The current structure is:

Under $100: 13% + $3 flat fee

$100–$499: 13%

$500–$999: 12%

$1,000–$2,499: 10%

$2,500–$4,999: 9%

$5,000+: 7%

My concern is specifically with the $3 flat fee for cards under $100, which is where the majority of cards fall. I understand the explanation — processing, labor, shipping, and providing free storage and insurance — but the $3 fee hits lower-value cards the hardest and makes it difficult for collectors who move a lot of mid-tier inventory.

I recently sold a $65 card and received $53.55, meaning the true fee was 17.6% (13% + the $3 flat fee). Without that additional fee, the payout would have been $56.55. I understand the convenience PSA provides vs. doing everything myself at home etc. But I also know I can list and ship those lower-value cards myself without the $3 add-on.

I also know many other collectors feel the same way about the under-$100 category. I would appreciate your honest thoughts — both the reasoning behind keeping the fee, and whether there is room to reconsider.

If you agree or disagree with keeping the $3 flat fee, I would love to hear the pros and cons from PSA’s perspective.

2. Clarity on future PSA pricing and changes

Another area of concern is the lack of updated information on PSA’s future grading prices. A lot of collectors, including myself, are waiting for clarity so we can plan ahead. I’m confident in the Vault process, but the grading side still feels uncertain. Many collectors have paused or canceled their Collector’s Club memberships because they want to understand what the new pricing direction will be.

Any insight you can share about upcoming pricing structure, changes, or timelines would be extremely helpful.

3. Cards that arrive PSA and comes back as PSA 6.

This is a separate but important question. For example, sometimes a card grades a PSA 6, and then on a second submission comes back as a PSA 9. This happens — and I’ve seen it many times.

My question is would I need the card physically returned to me before resubmitting?


I still have a large number of cards at home that I haven’t submitted yet because I’m waiting to see whether the grading fee will return to $15.99 instead of the current $21.99. I can’t move forward with those submissions until I know the updated pricing for the PSA Collector’s Club. I have many cards ready to go, but I’m holding off until there is clarity on what the new fee structure will be.

Feel free to ask me any other questions:

[Boostedwrx]

The problem is TCG

[88horsepower]

Originally Posted by corndog

The same guy that had unknowingly purchased trimmed PSA 10s for his set registry and then several years later quietly (and knowingly) sold them off thru an auction house without disclosing they had been outed as altered.

Is this documented as fact? That's pretty f**ked up if he indeed did that.

[uminnesota]

What do you all think about the $3 flat fee?

Totally understand Boostedwrx saying that price is higher with TCG.