Psa backlog in 2020 and 2021
 

I just read that PSA is bringing back Regular service after being suspended 9 months. I also read how PSA had a backlogged of 700,000 cards that went to a backlog of over 10 million cards in spring 2021.

I feel like that that timeframe should be turned into a documentary. How does that happened? Was PSA receiving not tell the front office how many cards they were getting? I just don’t understand how the backlog goes from bad to terrible in such a short timeframe.

The late 2020/early 2021 card market exploded. Card prices (demand) significantly increased, while grading prices remained the same. The cost-benefit/risk-reward was there for flippers to grade everything under the sun. Plus, Covid caused dormant collectors to return to the hobby and submit their cards for grading. It was a perfect storm.

The graders were slow to suspend grading services (or raise grading prices). When they finally acted (i.e. significantly raise prices and/or suspend services) it was too late. That is the long and short of what happy. The good news is that PSA is almost through the significant backlog and Nat Turner recently stated PSA will hopefully return to pre Covid pricing soon.

The frustrating part is that stupid Pokémon cards are the vast majority backlogged that created this mess.