SGC Raises Grading Prices and Adjusts Turnaround Times

SGC Raises Prices Amid Continued Grading Demand

SGC has become the latest grading company to adjust its pricing, announcing new service levels and turnaround times effective immediately. The company said the move comes in response to rapidly increasing demand and continued expansion of estimated turnaround times.

According to SGC, its lowest available rate has increased from $18 to $50. The company also said the estimated turnaround time for that level is now more than 40 business days. Previously, SGC listed turnaround times at 40 to 50 business days.

The update was shared through the company’s social media accounts, along with a note directing collectors to its standard services and pricing page for the full breakdown.

Another Shift in the Grading Landscape

The change adds to a steady run of pricing and service adjustments across the grading industry over the past year. PSA announced changes about a year ago when it added roughly five days to turnaround times and increased card prices slightly. About eight months later, PSA made a larger adjustment that included suspending its value tiers.

Other grading companies have also had to respond to heavy submission volume. Beckett and SGC have both faced the effects of the surge, while second-tier companies such as TAG have also adjusted submission levels as they work through backlogs.

At TAG, the cheapest current rate is $150 for a five business day turnaround.

What SGC Says About Submission Growth

The timing of SGC’s announcement stood out because GemRate released its August grading numbers just one day earlier. Those figures showed SGC as the only major company to post a decline in both month-over-month and year-over-year grading activity, aside from a minimal 1 percent drop for Beckett on a month-over-month basis.

SGC’s own data tells a different story. The company says cards submitted have increased by 24 percent and overall orders have increased by 27 percent. SGC also reported a jump of 2,000 new submitters since July 1, 2026.

That contrast between grading volume and submission activity leaves open the possibility that SGC is seeing more incoming demand even if its completed grading totals have softened in recent reporting.

How Collectors Acquisition Could Fit Into the Picture

Less than a year ago, in December 2025, Collectors, the parent company of PSA, acquired Beckett. Any major acquisition can shift resources in the short term as a company adjusts operations and priorities.

SGC was also acquired by Collectors, and in February 2024 the companies said they would continue to operate as they had in the past. Even so, the numbers suggest something has changed behind the scenes. PSA had also described SGC as a boutique grading company for cards, adding another layer to the evolving relationship between the brands.

CGC Still Offers One of the Lowest Bulk Rates

Certified Guaranty Company remains one of the few grading companies still offering bulk service rates. Its current bulk option requires a 25-card minimum and costs $17 per card.

The tradeoff is time. CGC’s listed turnaround is 150 working days. For a submission clock that started on September 1, 2026, the estimated completion date would be April 9, 2027, when federal holidays are taken into account.

What Rising Grading Costs Could Mean for Card Values

The latest changes may also influence how collectors think about raw cards versus graded cards, especially in the middle and lower tiers of the market. Over the past year, higher grading fees and longer turnaround times have changed the math for many submissions.

One example cited in recent sales data involves Shaquille O’Neal’s 1992 Topps rookie card in PSA 9. According to Card Ladder, the last four sales of the PSA 9 version were $44, $44.99, and $40, for an average of about $43. Those sales all took place on September 2, 2026.

On the same day, a raw copy sold for $7. Another raw sale from September 1 brought $9.99. That gap suggests some collectors may be placing more value on already-graded cards as grading fees climb.

High-end cards are still more likely to benefit from being housed in a slab, but lower- to mid-tier cards may not justify the current grading costs. For those cards, raw examples could become more attractive if the spread between raw and graded prices continues to widen.

What Collectors Are Watching Next

SGC’s changes will likely be watched closely in the coming months as collectors and sellers adjust to the new pricing structure. The company’s reported increase in submissions and new submitters suggests demand remains strong, even as the broader grading market continues to shift.

GemRate’s upcoming reports should offer a clearer picture of whether SGC’s pricing move leads to a temporary increase in grading activity or whether the company’s recent trends continue. For now, the latest update reinforces a simple reality in the hobby: grading remains busy, and the cost to submit continues to rise.