How to get your cards graded for cheap? The data behind
This page covers all the data behind the blog post “how to get your cards graded for cheap?”. During my analysis I have calculated 36 different cases and gathered a lot of information for PSA, Beckett, SGC, CGC, Ludkins Collectables and GradedGem.
Each section provides the data “behind” the different rankings of my main blog post.
Additional information for standard self-submission without membership:
Detailed service cost:
| Services and cost per card (excl. subgrades) | PSA | Beckett | SGC | CGC |
| SUPER EXPRESS / WALK-TROUGH | $300 | $125 | $200 | $125 |
| EXPRESS | $150 | $100 | $75 | $60 |
| REGULAR | $100 | $30 | – | $35 |
| ECONOMY | $50 | $20 | – | $25 |
| Service and cost per card (incl. subgrades) | PSA | Beckett | SGC | CGC |
| SUPER EXPRESS / WALK-TROUGH | – | $250 | – | $135 |
| EXPRESS | – | $125 | – | $70 |
| REGULAR | – | $50 | – | $45 |
| ECONOMY | – | $35 | – | $35 |
Detailed shipping & insurance cost based on total order value:
| PSA | $1 – $1k | $1k – $5k | $5k – $15k |
| 1 – 8 cards | $14 | $29 | $37 |
| 9 – 25 cards | $20 | $35 | $43 |
| BGS | $1- $1k | $1k – $5k | $5k – $15k |
| 1 – 10 cards | $36 | $48 – $84 | $96 – $204 |
| 11 – 20 cards | $38 | $50 – $86 | $98 – $206 |
| 21 – 50 cards | $40 | $52 – $88 | $100 – $208 |
| SGC | $1- $1k | $1k – $5k | $5k – $15k |
| 1 – 5 cards | $15 | $15 – $25 | $25 – $45 |
| 6 – 20 cards | $25 | $25 – $30 | $30 – $60 |
| 21 – 30 cards | $30 | $30 – $35 | $35 – $75 |
| CGC | $1 – $1k | $1k – $5k | $5k – $15k |
| 1 – 5 cards | $27 | $34 | $51 |
| 6 – 12 cards | $30 | $36 | $53 |
| 13 – 24 cards | $37 | $43 | $60 |
| 25 – 36 cards | $43 | $50 | $67 |
Detailed membership cost and benefit information:
| PSA | Cost per year | Benefit 1: Access to value pricing per card ($499 max. declared) | Benefit 2: Grading vouchers |
| Platinum* | $299 | $20 | 15 |
| Gold* | $199 | $20 | 6 |
| Silver | $99 | $20 | – |
| CGC | Cost per year | Benefit 1: Discounted grading fee | Benefit 2: Grading credit |
| Elite | $299 | 10% | $150 |
| Premium | $149 | – | $150 |
| Associate | $25 | – | – |
| Free | $0 | – | – |
Additional information for submission via official agent / middle man:
Detailed Ludkins Collectables service cost:
| Ludkins Collectables | Standard Submission |
| 1 – 19 cards | $35 |
| 20+ cards | $31,50 |
Detailed GradedGem service cost:
| GradedGem | PSA Grading |
| 1 – 4 cards | $24,99 |
| 5 – 19 cards | $21,99 |
| 20 – 49 cards | $19,99 |
Case results:
Yearly submission:
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | GradedGem | BGS | GradedGem | CGC |
| Price? | $74,97 | $153 | $74,97 | $139 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Best Option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $219,9 | $434 | $219,9 | $386 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $499,75 | $1047 | $499,75 | $942 |
Quarterly submission:
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $299,88 | $612 | $299,88 | $556 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $879,6 | $1736 | $879,6 | $1544 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $1999 | $4188 | $1999 | $3768 |
Monthly submission:
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $899,64 | $1836 | $899,64 | $1668 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $2638,8 | $5208 | $2638,8 | $4632 |
| Card type? | All | All | Pokemon & MTG only | Pokemon & MTG only |
| Subgrades required? | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Number of cards submitted? | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Best option? | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) | Middle Man | Self-service (no membership) |
| Cheapest provider? | Graded Gem | BGS | Graded Gem | CGC |
| Price? | $6297 | $12.564 | $6297 | $11304 |
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