What they should do is subcontract with other grading firms around the world to handle the overflow for lower-priced cards. There’s a ton of money to be made by simply taking a cut of the $12 per card that a smaller firm working out of Des Moines or Little Rock would charge. These smaller firms would specialize in vintage cards so research costs would be less. Cards would automatically be directed to the firm with the most capacity for quicker service when a submission was entered online. Cards could either be graded and shipped to PSA for a quick eye test before sealing or the satellite firms could check each other before sealing.
I can imagine numerous card shops around the country that would love to have a crack at some grading revenue during their “Why am I sitting on my arse waiting for a customer?” moments. Heck, I could have graded six cards in the time it took to enter this post!
