The Short Answer
- PSA grades ~90,000 cards/day, up from ~15,000 in 2021.
- Overall capacity is 5x larger than four years ago.
- PSA is hiring ~1,000 more staff in 2026 and investing $200M in facilities.
- Even at record output, incoming volume outpaced processing.
The Scale Today
PSA now grades approximately 90,000 cards per day globally. In 2021, that figure was closer to 15,000. That is roughly a 6x increase in daily throughput in four years, with total capacity up about 5x. By any historical standard, PSA is operating at an unprecedented scale.
The $200 Million Investment
The expansion is backed by a $200 million capacity investment and roughly 1,000 new hires in 2026, plus plans to expand both existing and new facilities around the world. PSA frames this as growing "responsibly and deliberately" — adding throughput without compromising grading consistency.
Why It Still Isn't Enough
Here is the paradox: every capacity gain has been swallowed by demand. The hobby's buy-sell-grade cycle scales with the market, and a 20% submission spike can add 1.6 million cards faster than new hires can be trained. New staff also take months to reach full productivity. That is why PSA paired the capacity push with the Value-tier pause — adding people and throttling intake at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards does PSA grade per day in 2026?
How much is PSA investing in capacity?
If PSA is faster than ever, why is there a backlog?
Sources & Further Reading
With submission floors rising, pre-screening is no longer optional. Use our AI Pre-Grade Calculator to score a card's PSA 10 odds before you pay, and the Submission Planner to pick the right tier.