So I am looking into submitting my Mario Pikachu and Luigi Pikachu promos to PSA for grading and had a question about what level I should use when submitting them. I know I probably can’t include them in a bulk submission but what level do I use? Value max? Regular?
Side question if I submit it through a lower tier do they upcharge me into a higher tier?
Thanks for helping this PSA newbie!
Yes, they will. If you submit under a lower tier with a lower insurance level and they damage your card, you will be screwed.
You could have things slide through without getting upcharged previously, but with PSA Vault sales etc it doesn’t happen often anymore, especially not with the cards you’re grading.
I’d just commit to Super Express if i was you. You’ll get upcharged at least to that even with 9s, and probably to the walk-through price…
eeesh $300/card is steep lol but better safe than sorry I suppose.
It’s unlikely you get lucky and slip these cards through the cracks at a low tier.
Option 1: submit at the appropriate tier, have the appropriate level of insurance, and enjoy the faster turnaround time
Option 2: Submit at a lower tier, get screwed if it’s lost or damaged in the process, wait 30+ business days if all goes well, get charged the same amount as option 1
It is expensive; perhaps thinking of it more of an investment rather than a fee will help you. I recently submitted some higher end cards and it was a little painful paying $300 per card but it gave me peace of mind knowing that their value was properly accounted for, and as a bonus I got the cards back way faster than most submissions which was nice.
True, but you are going to pay that amount either way!
Exactly this. You could have probably gotten an illustrator through bulk a few years ago lol but not any more. Pay up, get it back quickly.
Tin foil hat theory: I’ve heard all kinds of theories and wondering if anyone every try this:
Does anyone try and send through lower tier services to try and get a less experienced grader / less scrutiny than a higher level service. I’ve heard from people that the higher tiers are funneled to certain graders compared to lower tier submissions.
Not saying this is true…just wondering if anyone has tried this. Obviously a lot of risk as you’re not getting a high insurance.
Spend the money and send it at the appropriate tier. No reason to take any risk. These are now cards that are in the 5 figures in a 10. Why take on any unnecessary risk for only a few hundred dollars. Also, at the higher tier it will be done much faster.
As far as I know this is true: there are certain graders on staff who deal with the higher end submissions versus generic bulk cards. This makes sense as a business, it’s a massive difference in potential value on how someone grades a 1st Edition Base Set Charizard versus an unlimited Caterpie.
Yes Its been proven through interviews with ex psa employees that high end cards are graded by experienced and veteran graders and the grade is double checked by additional graders or upper management.