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Compare the exact basketball card’s sold comps, visible condition, population, and all-in submission cost before choosing a grader. CardGrade can help pre-screen photos, but the grading company makes the final physical-card decision.
On the service schedule checked August 5, 2026, PSA Value services are paused and Regular is the lowest active direct tier. Fees and availability can change, so verify the current schedule before ordering.
PSA paused Value on June 2, 2026. It remains useful for budgeting a future lower-value submission, but it is not currently orderable.
PSA’s lowest currently orderable direct tier while all Value services are paused.
A faster tier for cards where timing justifies a higher grading fee.
Includes PSA premium imaging and Grader Notes for eligible outcomes.
The highest active fixed-price tier before PSA’s Premium value bands.
For cards whose expected value exceeds the Walk-Through service ceiling.
The published per-card fee is not the all-in cost. Add applicable shipping, insurance, membership, supplies, add-ons, selling costs, and any adjustment under the selected service terms.
Pricing and availability last verified August 5, 2026. CardGrade is independent and is not affiliated with the grading companies listed.
Official sources: PSA trading card grading services
Exact-card sales, grader fit, two-direction centering, reflective surfaces, and population context all affect the decision.
Match the year, set, card number, parallel, serial number, autograph or memorabilia variation, grade, and recent selling venue. A different Prizm color or print run is not a reliable comparable.
Compare recent completed sales for the exact card in PSA, Beckett, SGC, and other eligible holders. Fees, turnaround estimates, label detail, and buyer demand vary; no grader guarantees the best result for every basketball card.
Prizm, Select, Mosaic, and Optic finishes can show dimples, print lines, scratches, roller marks, and fingerprints only under angled light. Photograph both sides outside removable protection when it is safe to do so.
Modern frames can look balanced left to right while sitting high or low. Measure horizontal and vertical borders on the front and inspect the back rather than judging from the player image alone.
Population reports show how many examples a grader has recorded by grade; they do not show supply for sale, card demand, or future prices. Pair population data with recent exact-card sales and total submission cost.
Use your own quotes and selling venue in a transparent break-even calculation; these costs vary by order and card.
A scarce color, serial-numbered card, or expensive vintage issue may require a higher service tier or another fee under the grader’s current declared-value rules.
Dimples, scratches, roller lines, print lines, and fingerprints can reduce the result even when the front image looks clean under flat light.
A growing graded population can add supply, but price also depends on player demand, set, parallel scarcity, grade, timing, and the number actually offered for sale.
Outbound shipping, return shipping, declared value, insurance choices, and batch size sit outside the advertised per-card grading fee.
Marketplace, consignment, payment, and fulfillment charges reduce net proceeds. Use the actual venue fee schedule in any break-even calculation.
A photo-based pre-screen can help rank visible-condition candidates in about 60 seconds per card. It cannot replace authentication, in-hand inspection, or the grader’s final decision.
Illustrative service-fee math only: 6 × $79.99. Shipping, insurance, supplies, memberships, adjustments, and selling costs are excluded.
Illustrative service-fee math only: 2 × $79.99. A pre-screen does not guarantee either card’s professional grade or value.
Eligible new accounts · Additive condition guidance · Not physical authentication
There is no universal best company for every NBA card. Compare completed sales for the exact card and grade, current fees and turnaround estimates, declared-value limits, holder preferences, and whether you want detailed subgrades. CardGrade is a photo-based pre-screen and does not replace a physical grader.
On the PSA service schedule checked August 5, 2026, Regular is the lowest active direct tier at $79.99 per card with an estimated 40–50 business days. Shipping, insurance, memberships, add-ons, and applicable adjustments can increase the total. Verify PSA’s live service page before submitting.
Yes. Inspect horizontal and vertical balance on the front and back. Modern border and frame elements can make imbalance visible, and a card that looks centered left to right may still sit high or low. The professional grader applies its own published standard to the physical card.
It depends on the exact year, set, parallel, serial number, raw purchase cost, recent same-card sales by grade, current population, visible condition, and all-in grading and selling costs. A scarce parallel can have very different economics from a widely available base card.
Use exact-card completed sales and your collecting goal to compare them. Beckett can provide condition subgrades on eligible services; PSA provides its own grading, population, and certification ecosystem. New online Base and Standard submissions are temporarily paused. Existing and in-transit submissions continue to be processed; Express and Priority remain available. Availability and terms can change, so verify both companies before mailing a card.
A photo-based pre-screen can estimate visible centering and flag some corner, edge, and surface concerns. Reflective chrome, indentations, glare, sleeves, altered cards, and missing angles can hide defects. It cannot authenticate the physical card, assign an official grade, or guarantee a PSA outcome or value.
The same broad condition areas matter, but older paper stock can show print defects, toning, stains, wax residue, focus issues, creases, and edge wear that should not be treated like modern chrome defects. Compare the card with the grader’s current standards and exact vintage sales.
Use recent completed sales for the same year, set, card number, parallel, serial-number or autograph variation, grader, and grade. Separate asking prices from completed sales and subtract the actual grading, shipping, insurance, and selling costs in your scenario.
Review horizontal and vertical centering, corners, edges, and visible chrome concerns in about 60 seconds. Then verify exact-card sales and the grader’s current terms.