It’s the age old question in hobby groups: “So, what is the current turnaround time for (insert grading company here)?” Of course, answering this question should be as simple as going to the grading company’s website, clicking on the appropriate level of service, and noting the estimated time for that service level.
But if you submit cards for grading with any regularity you know that’s usually not the way it works. So, given that you may have some cards you want to get graded as we head into the fall and holiday season, let’s take a look at current turnaround times for PSA, SGC, and CGC as of fall, 2025.
Remember COVID Backlogs?
If you have been collecting at least since COVID, you may well remember the debacle at PSA caused by the double whammy of COVID shutdowns and the massive spike in interest in collectibles and grading that occurred during that time.
PSA’s backlog reportedly grew to around 13 million cards at that time, with collectors often waiting over a year to get those cards returned, stated turn around times be damned!
All grading companies adjusted operations and pricing during COVID in efforts to deal with the crushing demand. During that time we saw suspension of services and huge price increases to try to stem the tide. SGC and CGC fared a bit better in the consumers’ eyes, but neither was dealing with the influx of cards that PSA received.
Fall 2025 Grading Status
PSA. SGC, and CGC are always adjusting both estimated turnaround times and pricing for each level of service. The current trend as of this fall seems to be a relative slowdown at PSA, which they acknowledge, accompanied by quicker service from SGC than they were able to provide for the last several months.
But the reasons for this are not all positive if you’re an SGC enthusiast. You can read about this past summer’s grading shake up here, where Cardhound documents the relative “takeover” of SGC headquarters in Boca Raton.
Just this month PSA has announced longer stated turnaround times in conjunction with price hikes, an effort to deal with yet another uptick in grading volume. It will be interesting to look at final Gemrate data for September to see if overall grading volume is still breaking year over year records.
Just months after PSA’s parent Collectors purchased SGC, SGC’s popular president Peter Steinberg stepped down. This was likely a move planned when Collectors purchased SGC, as Collectors grading entities all have the same president, Ryan Hoge. But then PSA moved into the same building that houses SGC HQ in Boca. And then we get news that PSA is moving some SGC employees to the PSA side.
And lastly, SGC also announced it is discontinuing its bulk submitter rates–a huge, intentional blow to volume. Yes, the stated plan is to “shrink” SGC at best. Is the ultimate plan to simply absorb and discontinue SGC entirely? That remains to be seen.
CGC is a bit less relevant to sports collectors and especially for vintage collectors. They just don’t have much market share in that space yet.
But there could be an opening for increased vintage market share for CGC if SGC does continue a sort of downward trend in terms of volume. That said, CGC is slow–its stated turn time are the slowest of all three major graders. They are not nearly the same size operation as PSA, but they sure do process a lot of TCG cards.
Stated vs. Actual Turn Times and Pricing for Standard Service
So that we are comparing apples to apples, we will take a look at all three grading companies’ stated and actual current turn around times for their most comparable levels of service for a single card (not bulk).
| Sept. 2025 Estimates | PSA | SGC | CGC |
| Service Level | Value Service | Standard Service | Economy Service |
| Max Value | $500 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| Stated Turnaround | 45 business days | 15-20 business days | 40 business days |
| Actual Turnaround | ? | +/- 13 business days | ? |
| Current Price | $27.99 | $15 | $17 |
- SGC estimates are derived from looking at received and shipped dates for SGC submissions through Boca Card Subs.
What are Your Experiences?
I would like to add some actual turn time data for PSA and CGC. If you have any recent returns, drop a comment below on the number of business days from received to shipped. Thanks!
What Does This Mean for the Holidays?
Fall is a busy “show season” and there’s always a rush to get cards in in time to get them back before November. At a standard submission level, SGC is your only bet at this point. PSA’s 45 “business days” equals about 9 weeks, and 40 days at CGC is 8 weeks, plus shipping both ways. If submitting today I would not guarantee even a Christmas arrival.
So if not SGC, you’ll need to pay up for faster service. For example, PSA’s “Value Plus” at $44.99/card will likely get the job done, but with a max value of $500 and an estimated turnaround time of 25 business days. The important things to remember is that “business days” are not “calendar days,” and the estimates do not include shipping both ways, which can easily add an additional week.
