PSA Value Grading Reopens at $39.99: What Collectors Need to Know

PSA reopened its Value grading service on October 29, 2026, at 8 a.m. Pacific. The official PSA announcement sets the U.S. price at $39.99 per card, with a $500 maximum insured value and an estimated 90–100 business-day turnaround.

The reopening creates a lower-priced path for many cards, but it is not a return of every former Value tier. PSA says new Value orders will be processed behind items already in its care, and Value Bulk remains part of a later reopening phase.

Official PSA sources checked November 3, 2026. Pricing, service availability and turnaround estimates can change. The hero is an original editorial blueprint with generic holders and blank labels; it does not reproduce a PSA holder or certification label.

PSA Value terms at a glance

Detail	PSA's announced U.S. Value terms
Price	$39.99 per card
Maximum insured value	$500 per card
Estimated turnaround	90–100 business days
Opened	October 29, 2026 at 8 a.m. PT
Queue position	Behind orders already at PSA
Standard imaging	Front and back of the graded card

PSA describes turnaround times as estimates rather than guarantees. Its current grading-services page says the clock begins when an order is received and scanned into the facility, not when a collector creates the submission or hands the package to a carrier.

Value reopened; Value Bulk did not

PSA paused Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max for new submissions on June 2 after reporting a sharp increase in submissions and a backlog approaching 10 million items. The May service update said existing orders would continue under their submitted terms.

The October announcement reopens a new global Value service. It does not say Value Bulk has reopened. PSA instead says it plans to continue bringing back lower-priced grading, including Value Bulk, in phases.

That distinction matters when comparing old videos, forum posts or submission worksheets. Do not use a previous Value Bulk price, card minimum or turnaround estimate for a new Value order.

What the $500 maximum insured value means

The $500 figure is not a target raw-card price and it is not a guarantee that a graded card will be worth $500. PSA's maximum insured value FAQ tells submitters to make a realistic estimate of the item's value after grading.

PSA says maximum insured value helps determine:

1. The applicable service level and price.
2. Coverage while the item is in PSA's possession.
3. Shipping-insurance coverage in the event of a claim.

If a plausible post-grading outcome exceeds $500, research the correct service level before submitting. Do not deliberately understate value to reach the lower fee. PSA's terms allow it to require a higher service level and additional payment when it determines that an item exceeds the selected maximum insured value.

Is the reopened Value service right for your card?

The lower price does not make every raw card a grading candidate. Start with our is your card worth grading guide, then compare the complete decision rather than the fee alone.

Value may fit when

• A realistic post-grading value stays within the $500 limit.
• You can accept a long, non-guaranteed turnaround.
• Recent sales support enough difference between raw and plausible graded outcomes.
• Authentication, protection or personal-collection goals justify the total cost.

Consider another path when

• The card could reasonably exceed $500 after grading.
• Your plan depends on selling before a near-term event, season or release.
• The economics work only if the card receives the highest grade in your model.
• Shipping, insurance and selling costs remove the expected advantage.

Use the sports-card price research guide to keep raw, PSA 9 and PSA 10 sales in separate groups. A top-grade sale is not a prediction of the result your card will receive.

Build a submission shortlist before opening the form

Use a repeatable filter:

1. Identify the exact card. Record the year, product, subject, card number and parallel.
2. Inspect condition. Follow the raw-card condition guide for corners, edges, surface and centering.
3. Research multiple grade outcomes. Include a lower result and the possibility of no numerical grade when relevant.
4. Check population data carefully. Our PSA population-report guide explains what the counts can and cannot establish.
5. Add the complete cost. Include $39.99 per card plus supplies, outbound shipping, insurance, return shipping and any applicable charges.
6. Confirm the live service page. Availability and estimates can change after this article's verification date.

The disclosed eBay searches below let you compare broad raw, PSA 9 and PSA 10 result groups. Narrow them with the exact card identity, then inspect completed sales and listing photographs. Search results do not prove value, grade, authenticity or The CardBoard Report inventory.

Pack only after the order is complete

Follow the address and instructions generated for the specific order. Keep cards in the submission-form order and avoid mailing until the service level, maximum insured value and item list are correct.

Our PSA submission packing guide provides a preparation checklist, but PSA's current instructions control. Photograph the cards and completed package, use tracking, and choose insurance appropriate for the shipment.

Next step: build a short list of cards whose plausible post-grading value stays under $500, compare raw and graded sales, and remove any card whose case depends on a PSA 10. You can also browse our current listings for cards to research; no listing is represented as a guaranteed grading candidate.