Newcomers, much like myself a few years ago, might think that PSA grading is enormously complicated and only for the ‘elites’ within the hobby, but it’s a lot simpler than that.
From the outside, it feels like you need to understand everything—grading scales, population reports, submission tiers—before you even send a card off.
But when you actually go through it, the process is pretty straightforward. Especially in the US, where PSA is built into how people collect, buy, and sell cards on a daily basis.
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In the UK and most other parts of the world it is decidedly different, and will mean having to ship cards internationally (and incur the time and costs of doing that), but hopefully with the new London PSA Hub opening sometime this year, it will help to change this for the UK and ultimate Europe, before more European-based outlets open up right throughout the continent.
Until then, you may do the process yourself or let the natural headache be handled by a middle-person who acts on your behalf. Whichever suits your patience and budget the best.
Why PSA Grading Matters in the Football Card Hobby
At its core, PSA grading gives your card authentication and a trusted condition score.
That score—ranging from 1 to 10—removes uncertainty.
Buyers don’t need to judge condition themselves, which is why graded cards are generally easier to sell and often carry stronger prices. And it’s generally recognised as close to ‘correct’ as possible.
If you’ve ever searched something like “Bellingham rookie PSA 10 price” or “PSA 9 vs PSA 10 value difference”, you’ll have seen how big that gap can be. In many cases, the jump from a 9 to a 10 is where most of the value sits. It’s the difference between ‘really nice’ and basically ‘perfect’.
Imagine those same words being given to you by your partner – I’m sure that one if going to make you feel decidedly different to the other, right? Or, you might prefer anything close to the former, I dunno!
How to Decide If a Football Card Is Worth Grading
Before you even think about submitting, you need to look at the card properly.
Not every card benefits from grading, and sending the wrong ones is where most beginners lose money.
The usual approach is to check:
- Player demand – Is the player actively collected?
- Card type – Rookie cards, numbered cards, and short prints tend to perform better
- Price difference – Is there a clear jump between raw and PSA 9/10 sales?
A quick search like “[player] PSA 10 sold listings” gives you real data to work with.
When you break it down like that, grading becomes less about hoping for a high grade and more about making a calculated decision.
Understanding PSA Grading Standards (Centering, Corners, Surface)
This is the part that sounds technical, but it’s actually quite simple once you know what to look for.
PSA grades based on four key areas:
- Centering – Is the image aligned evenly?
- Corners – Are they sharp or slightly worn?
- Edges – Any chipping or roughness?
- Surface – Scratches, print lines, or marks
If you’re new to this, the easiest way to think about it is: anything visible under light can affect the grade.
A card might look perfect in your hand, but under closer inspection, small flaws appear. And those small details are often the difference between a PSA 10 and a PSA 9.
That’s why experienced collectors take time checking cards carefully before submitting.
The PSA Submission Process in the US (Why It’s Easier)
Once you’ve decided a card is worth grading, the submission itself is mostly admin.
You create an account on the official PSA Website, enter the card details, choose a service level based on value, and prepare your shipment.
For US collectors, this part is straightforward.
There’s no international shipping, no customs delays, and fewer handling risks. Cards move through PSA’s system more efficiently, and turnaround times are generally more predictable.
That accessibility is a big reason PSA dominates the US market—it’s not just about trust, it’s about convenience. And like I said earlier, hopefully we can feel that change soon through Europe. Especially with World Cup fever around the corner and adjusted bump in the bubble that’s set to occur.
How to Prepare and Ship Your Cards to PSA
Packaging is simple but important. Sometimes crucial, depending on value.
PSA recommends using a Penny Sleeve and Semi-Rigid Card Saver.
Top loaders aren’t ideal, as PSA needs to remove the card safely during grading. And using the semi-rigid card cover allows the card to slip out easily for examination, whilst remaining relatively stable while being shipped – especially crucial when shipping to the United States.
Once packaged, you send your cards using a tracked service like USPS, FedEx, or UPS. Most collectors choose based on value and how quickly they want the cards processed.
It’s a small part of the process, but getting it right reduces risk—especially if you’re submitting higher-value cards. And even more especially so if the timing of the sale is crucial for either a high-value rookie or a name that’s dominating the scene at the moment. Which is something we examined quite closely here in our related article: Why Are Lamine Yamal Cards So Expensive in 2026?
What Happens After You Submit Your Cards to PSA
After PSA receives your cards, they go through several stages including logging, grading, encapsulation, and return. Which can take an annoyingly long amount of time.
Turnaround times depend on the service level you selected, but can be weeks to months
One thing I think PSA can work on is opening up the floor to transparency here, to let you know what stage they’re at and how long is left – via email or push notifications or something similar.
Which is something I’ve personally enjoyed with local grading companies. Which is something we will cover in the ‘Grading‘ section of the Hobby FC website, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
How PSA Grades Affect Value and Selling
When your cards come back, they’re sealed in PSA slabs with a certified grade.
And it all gets logged officially in their archives to ascertain rarity and relative condition to other similar cards which have gone through the same grading process.
A PSA 10 becomes a premium version of that card. A PSA 9 is still strong but sits just below. Lower grades depend more on rarity and player demand.
PSA even offer a simple ‘authentication’ process which is less time-consuming than the card grading, but usually used for things that aren’t guaranteed by the manufacturer.
But ultimately, the process itself, though daunting, is simple and uniform right the way across the football card space. And as this article looks into actually submitting them, then this is where it ends: set up an account, pay the fee, ship them off, wait, hope for the best, receive and feel something.
We’re gonna need way more time to actually delve into PSA (and card grading as a whole)’s process of how they look at different cards and what are more likely to get higher grades than others.
Have you ever graded a card with PSA? If so, how did you find it?