PSA tiered grading
 

I apologize if this has been asked before but can someone please explain to me the actual basis behind PSA charging more to grade a more expensive card? In theory shouldn’t the grading process be the exact same for any card submitted whether a $100 or $5,000 card? Do they handle higher end cards differently, have more experienced people grading them, etc. or is it literally just a money making scheme to get “their cut”? Also, when submitting a card obviously whether it’s an 8 or a 6 could really impact the value, what do you select in terms of value of the card? I mean I’d rather be paying $20 versus $75 a pop but is there ever a sense that selecting the higher tier (if you really feel a card could qualify for a high grade) could actually end up netting a higher grade? Is this part of some kinda “back door” BS that if you pay more you may end up with a better grade for the same card?

Yeah, it gets asked a lot. They rationalize it because of their grade guarantee: if they are wrong on a $100,000 card, they owe someone duped by it that much. So the $500 submission fee is like their self-insurance amount. Beckett doesn't have a guarantee, and SGC just got rid of theirs.
If you're going to submit to those jokers, value it as a raw card in the same condition. If there is a vast difference between your submission level and the value of the card after grading, they will contact you to up charge the service level.
I've submitted over a thousand to them in the past five years, but am now boycotting PSA because of how inept they are.

They are pretty sorry, I have only had 2 cards graded by them in 31 years, but won't get any more done by them until things change.

It's understandable that a more expensive card should have a higher fee due to the cost of their guarantee and the chance that a card could be damaged when cracked out and reholdered.

But even after this is factored in some of their fees do seem excessive. Especially when trying for a crossover or bump.

800# gorilla: they charge whatever they want because they know collectors have no substitute. The guarantee stuff is a justification. From what we've seen lately, PSA doesn't honor the guarantee--they tell you to go get a refund from the seller.

Another way to see it is as a potion of the value added by the grading.

Until recently, a card that hasn't been graded might be a bit suspect. How many times have we heard "if it didn't have problems /was real it would be in a TPG holder" in relation to an expensive card.
What does it sell for ungraded? What does it sell for graded? If the difference is a few thousand, is a $500 grading fee seem unreasonable?

Now of course, that we know you don't get anything more than the 20 second glance a 1988 Donruss common would get it does seem excessive.

True, but they charge 1k for a card valued over 10k. And 3k over 25k in value. That's a lot of money for a card already in a holder if you're trying to bump or cross from SGC. Especially if you're unsuccessful.

Personally I'd like to see a smaller fee just to look at the card, and the full fee charged if they actually crack it out and reholder it.

Greed

Good ol' capitalism, a/k/a charging what the traffic will bear! :D