PSA’s enormous card-grading backlog has fallen below 10 million units, putting at least one service tier closer to a potential reopening.
The company reported an active grading backlog of 9.9 million cards on September 8, down from 10.9 million in its August 25 update. PSA added that its five grading hubs have maintained their pace and said that, if the trend continues, it could be in position to evaluate reopening a service tier this month.
That is the most notable signal yet for collectors waiting for cheaper PSA grading options to return following the company’s June shutdown of Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max submissions.
PSA Has Cut 1 Million Cards From Backlog in 2 Weeks
The latest decline represents significant progress in a relatively short period.
PSA’s backlog has dropped approximately 9.2% since August 25, when the company reported 10.9 million units. The improvement is even more pronounced compared with July 28, when an influx of submissions pushed the backlog to 12.4 million.
Since then, PSA has removed about 2.5 million cards from the active queue — a decline of roughly 20% in six weeks.
PSA credited continued production across all five of its grading hubs for the latest progress. Its newest grading facility in Plano, Texas, became fully operational this summer, adding capacity as the company attempts to work through the surge.
The company has also committed $200 million to expanding its grading infrastructure, including facilities, technology and hiring.
PSA’s September Reopening Comment Comes With an Important Caveat
Collectors should not interpret Tuesday’s update as confirmation that all of PSA’s Value services are returning immediately.
PSA’s backlog tracker still identifies fewer than 5 million units as its benchmark for opening Value tiers. At 9.9 million, the company remains nearly 5 million units above that mark.
But PSA’s new language is notable. Rather than saying the entire group of paused Value tiers could reopen in September, the company said it could evaluate reopening “a Service tier” if the current pace continues.
That could leave PSA room to restore one option before others, although the company has not announced which tier it would consider first or established a reopening date.
As of September 8, PSA’s grading page continues to list Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max as unavailable. Regular service and the more expensive grading levels remain open.
PSA paused the four Value tiers on June 2 after a 20% submission spike added approximately 1.6 million cards to a backlog that was approaching 10 million. At the time, the company said continuing to accept submissions at that pace risked putting additional pressure on existing turnaround times.
The backlog later climbed as high as 12.4 million in late July before beginning its current decline.
For collectors, the next PSA tracker update now carries more weight than the previous few. Another substantial drop would strengthen the case for PSA to restore at least one lower-cost grading option before September ends.
But until PSA formally announces that change, the Value tiers remain closed.
PSA Backlog Drops Below 10 Million as Service Tier Reopening Nears