PSA Monthly special
 

$6.25 per Card – 50 Card Minimum Quantity Required
Turnaround time approximately 50 business days/varies with demand

WTH? 50 day turnaround? My faith in PSA is losing ground everyday that goes by. I think I'm done with PSA. What do you think?

PSA was always going over their estimated turnaround time, so they raised it from 45 business days to 50. It's always going to be longer for prewar cards because they often have to do some research to make sure some of the sets are correct w/ variations. I just recently sent PSA two orders, one for prewar and one for vintage, both with the 50 day turnaround. The vintage submission only had 1957 - 1975 Topps cards. It turned around in 5 business days, most likely b/c it was an easy submission to grade. My prewar submission is still sitting there, and I expect that it will take the full 50 days if not more. I have a bunch of complex strip cards in there such as W516-1, W516-1-2, W516-2-1, W516-2-2, W516-2-3, severely cropped W515-1 and W515-2. It took me hours to figure out which sets the cards belonged to, so I expect it'll take PSA some time also.

Perhaps PSA should hire more graders!? They can afford it.

SGC has a $7 per card special with 20 day turnaround.

Agreed

Just when you think this dead horse is beaten beyond recognition...

...

Turn around time
 

My experience with PSA turn around times has been great about 80% of the time. I sent in a group September 1 on the 50 day turnaround and they were graded in 5 days. MY faith in PSA and SGC is good and has not waivered. I have certain cards for each company to grade based on experience. PSA though generally comes through.

For the first time ever I have an SGC submission going past the estimated time of 10 business days. I even got an email response on Thursday morning stating it would be shipped either Thursday or Friday. It hasn't shipped and grades still haven't posted. It is only 5 cards.

50 business days. Factoring in holidays that is nearly three months. I thought I was a lazy worker...

At the present rate, it will be 100 day turnaround a year or two from now. They need to hire more graders!

PSA cranked out my bulk order
 

So..... I submitted 50 cards to PSA for their 50 day bulk Sept.special. They received cards 9/26. Cards are graded, posted and shipped on Oct 2. THATS A 7 DAY TURNAROUND!!! ( and no, PSA doesn't know me from Adam):):):)

As a non-graded-card collector, I have a side question. If you send PSA 50 cards, is it true you have to pay for the return postage/insurance on each and every one of them separately? In other words, they won't ship all the cards back to you in one (much cheaper) package?

No, they have a chart... Based on # of cards and declared value. My 50 cards ( value under $5000 ) was $46 to ship. But 7 day turnaround!! Wow!! I'll take that fluke

Another question - what is to keep you from giving a low estimate on the value to save some money on the grading? Is the value that one lists also the amount the cards are insured for during shipping (hence making low price estimates a big gamble)?

As you surmised it is purely about the insurance. I always base the value off what I paid for the card, not off of what I think it would be worth if it grades where I want it to.