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PSA Backlog Tracker: 6.8M Queue (Nov 2026)

PSA's active backlog was 6.8 million cards on November 3, 2026 — down 45% from the 12.4M peak in July, but the decline slowed after Value reopened. Value is open at $39.99; Value Bulk, Value Plus and Value Max are still paused.

Emily Rodriguez Published Sep 30, 2026 Updated Nov 7, 2026 6 min read
PSA grading backlog status dashboard showing the 2026 queue size and open service tiers
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The Short Answer

  • PSA's active backlog is 6.8 million cards (November 3, 2026) — down 45% from the 12.4M peak on July 28, but still 1.8M above the ~5M target PSA tied to reopening Value Bulk.
  • The drawdown slowed in the latest period: 7.2M → 6.8M (−400,000 in two weeks) versus 8.2M → 7.2M (−1M) in the previous one. PSA says submissions rose after Value reopened.
  • Value reopened October 29, 2026 at $39.99 per card (up to $500 declared value, 90-100 business days). Value Plus, Value Bulk 65, Value Max 20 and TCG Bulk 65 remain paused.
  • Standard is $59.99 with a 70-80 business-day estimate; Priority is $79.99 at 50-60. PSA cut both by 20 business days on October 28, 2026.
  • New Value orders queue behind every order already at PSA — the business-day estimate is not a delivery date. Third-party tracking of completed 2026 orders averaged about 117 calendar days door-to-door.
  • CGC Bulk ($17) is still the cheapest open professional alternative; SGC is $50 after its September increase.

Current PSA Backlog Status

6.8M
cards in PSA's active grading backlog (November 3, 2026)
Down 45% from the 12.4M peak on July 28, 2026 — but still 1.8M above the ~5M level PSA has tied to fully reopening Value Bulk.

PSA's backlog ballooned through 2025-2026 as submission volume outpaced grading capacity. The company paused its budget Value tiers on June 2, 2026, launched a Standard tier at $59.99 on September 14, and then reopened Value at $39.99 on October 29 as the queue fell. PSA says grading output is up nearly 50% year over year.

The latest tracker print covered the two weeks to November 3, 2026. The queue fell 400,000 units, a slower pace than the 1 million drop in the prior period, because reopening Value brought submissions back in. PSA says every order already in the building keeps its place ahead of new Value submissions. Read the full breakdown of the Value reopening for what changed on October 28-29.

This page tracks the queue, which tiers are open, and what the current wait means for a submission. PSA publishes a biweekly backlog tracker; the figures here are checked against each print and against collector reports. Last checked November 7, 2026. For live per-submission timing, use our grading service tracker.

How we verify these numbers Every figure is taken from PSA's own Backlog Tracker or PSA service notices, then cross-checked against at least one independent report. We do not publish a number PSA has not released, and we do not forecast a reopening date PSA has not given. Where a figure is third-party (for example real-world order durations), it is labeled as such.

PSA Backlog History: The Full 2026 Drawdown

PSA has published a backlog figure every two weeks since the tracker launched. The queue peaked at 12.4 million on July 28, 2026 — above the ~14M figure widely reported in June, which counted a different internal measure — and has fallen at every print since:

PSA active grading backlog, July to November 2026 Line chart: 11.0 million on July 14, 12.4 million on July 28, 11.85 million on August 11, 10.9 million on August 25, 9.9 million on September 8, 9.0 million on September 22, 8.2 million on October 6, 7.2 million on October 20 and 6.8 million on November 3, with PSA's 5 million reopening target shown as a dashed line. 5M Value Bulk target Jul 14 Aug 11 Sep 8 Oct 6 Nov 3 12.4M 9.0M 7.2M 6.8M Active backlog, millions of cards. Source: PSA Backlog Tracker.

PSA Backlog Tracker prints, 2026. Change is versus the previous print.

PSA tracker update Backlog Change Context
July 14, 202611.0M—Value tiers paused since June 2
July 28, 202612.4M+1.4M2026 peak
August 11, 202611.85M−0.55MDecline begins
August 25, 2026~10.9M−0.95MStandard tier launched Sept 14
September 8, 20269.9M−1.0MBelow 10M for the first time since June
September 22, 2026~9.0M−0.9MExisting orders keep priority
October 6, 20268.2M−0.8MPSA signals more tiers may reopen
October 20, 20267.2M−1.0MValue announced to reopen Oct 29
November 3, 20266.8M−0.4MLatest print — decline slowed after Value reopened

Two things stand out in the series. First, the drop is real: 5.6 million cards cleared in about three and a half months. Second, it is decelerating — the last two-week window removed 400,000 cards against 1 million in the window before it. PSA attributed the slower decline to new submissions after Value reopened, which is the predictable cost of welcoming volume back before hitting the 5M target.

A simple extrapolation of the latest pace would put 5 million roughly two months out, but backlogs do not fall in straight lines: submissions spike around product releases and conventions, and PSA has said reopening is tied to operating milestones, not a date. Treat the trend as directional, not a schedule.

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Which PSA Tiers Are Open Right Now

PSA service levels on November 7, 2026. Turnarounds are PSA's business-day estimates, not delivery guarantees.

Tier Status Price Stated Turnaround Max Declared Value
Value (reopened Oct 29) OPEN $39.99 90-100 business days $500
Value Plus ($49.99) / Value Bulk 65 / Value Max 20 / TCG Bulk 65 PAUSED — — —
Standard (launched Sept 14) OPEN $59.99 70-80 business days $1,000
Priority (was Regular) OPEN $79.99 50-60 business days $1,500
Express OPEN $199 20-30 business days $2,500
Super Express OPEN $349 10-15 business days $5,000
Premier (was Walk-Through) OPEN $599 7-10 business days $10,000

Prices and tier availability checked November 7, 2026. PSA can change tiers and limits without notice — confirm in your PSA account before shipping. The full price history is in our 2026 cross-grader cost comparison.

Realistic Turnaround Times (Not the Stated Ones)

PSA's posted turnarounds are business-day estimates that exclude weekends and holidays. As of November 2026:

  • Value ($39.99): 90-100 business days (120 in Japan). New orders queue behind all existing submissions.
  • Standard ($59.99): 70-80 business days — cut by 20 days on October 28.
  • Priority ($79.99): 50-60 business days, also cut by 20 days.
  • Express ($199): 20-30 business days.
  • Super Express ($349): 10-15 business days.
  • Premier ($599): 7-10 business days.

Business days are not calendar days: 90 business days is roughly 18 weeks, and intake plus return shipping add more. Translation: a Value submission dropped in early November is realistically a February-March 2027 return, and the earlier you submitted, the earlier you are in line.

Independent tracking backs that up. GradingTimes reported in November 2026 that across 13 PSA orders it followed, the average was ~117 days from submission to completion, weekends included — longer than the posted business-day estimates once calendar days and shipping are counted. PSA's own estimates remain the only official figure; treat third-party averages as a reality check, not a quote.

Track real submission dates with our grading service tracker and check per-tier math with the PSA cost calculator.

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When Will Value Bulk Reopen?

PSA has tied the full reopening of its cheapest bulk tiers to a backlog of roughly 5 million cards. At 6.8M on November 3, 2026 the gap is 1.8M, but the pace slowed to 400,000 per two weeks after Value reopened. PSA's language in the November 3 update was that maintaining momentum would "position us to evaluate reopening Value Bulk in the coming months" — an evaluation, not a commitment, and still no published date.

Value reopened at 7.2M, above the 5M target, so treat 5M as a guideline rather than a trigger. Value Bulk 65, Value Plus, Value Max 20 and TCG Bulk 65 remain paused; PSA says it plans to keep reopening lower-priced grading in phases. If the recent pace held, 5M would arrive around late Q4 2026 to Q1 2027 — but spikes around product releases have reversed the trend before, and PSA has not promised a date.

Planning tip: Don't hold a submission waiting for Value Bulk. Value at $39.99 is open now for cards up to $500, and Standard at $59.99 covers cards up to $1,000. If a card clears pre-grading today, the months of waiting usually cost more than the tier difference.
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What Collectors Should Do Right Now

  1. Use Value for cards up to $500. At $39.99 it is the cheapest open PSA tier — but only if you can wait 90-100 business days and accept that new orders sit behind the existing queue.
  2. Use Standard for $500-$1,000 cards. At $59.99 with a 70-80 business-day estimate, it is the right lane when Value's $500 cap is too low.
  3. Pre-grade before you pay. At $39.99+ per card plus shipping and months of wait, sending a card that comes back an 8 is expensive tuition. Run candidates through AI pre-grading first — screen centering, corners, edges and surface before spending a dollar with PSA.
  4. Batch smart. Shipping is largely flat per package, not per card. Consolidate graded-worthy cards into one submission to cut per-card shipping.
  5. Declare accurately. Under-declaring invites upcharges at PSA's discretion; over-declaring pushes you into a higher tier. Check recent sales with the value estimator before choosing a tier.
  6. Consider crossover carefully. Cracking a BGS/CGC 9.5 for a PSA crossover only makes sense when the PSA 10 premium clearly exceeds the crossover cost — see the crossover calculator.

Alternatives While PSA Is Slow

Competitor status on November 7, 2026. Verify current pricing before submitting.

Grader Budget Price Status
CGC $17 bulk tier Open — cheapest professional option
SGC $50 Open — raised from $15 on Sept 2, 40-50 day turnaround
BGS $79.95 Express Base/Standard closed again Sept 25 — only Express open
TAG $149 Priority Basic/Standard/Express paused — Priority only

For full pricing across every grader, see the grading cost calculator and our 2026 cross-grader cost comparison. Market share and monthly volume across all graders are tracked on our card grading statistics page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How big is the PSA backlog right now?
6.8 million cards as of November 3, 2026, down from 7.2 million on October 20 and 12.4 million at the July 28 peak — a 45% decline. PSA has said roughly 5 million is the level at which it plans to fully reopen Value Bulk.
How fast is the PSA backlog shrinking?
The last two-week window removed 400,000 cards (7.2M to 6.8M). The prior window removed 1 million (8.2M to 7.2M). PSA said the decline slowed because submissions increased after Value reopened on October 29. At the latest pace, 5 million would be roughly two months away, but the pace has varied and PSA has not published a date.
What is the cheapest PSA grading tier in 2026?
Value at $39.99 per card for cards up to $500 declared value, reopened October 29, 2026, with a 90-100 business-day estimate. Standard at $59.99 covers cards up to $1,000. Value Plus, Value Bulk 65, Value Max 20 and TCG Bulk 65 remain paused.
How long does PSA grading actually take right now?
PSA estimates 90-100 business days for Value, 70-80 for Standard, 50-60 for Priority, 20-30 for Express, 10-15 for Super Express and 7-10 for Premier. Those are business days, and new Value orders queue behind existing submissions. Third-party tracking of 13 completed 2026 PSA orders averaged about 117 calendar days door-to-door.
Is PSA accepting new Value submissions?
Yes. Value reopened to new orders on October 29, 2026 at 8 AM PT at $39.99 per card, for cards up to $500 declared value. New Value orders are processed after the cards PSA already has, so the queue position starts at the back.
Is PSA Value Bulk open again?
No. Value reopened on October 29, 2026, but Value Plus, Value Bulk 65 (1980+), Value Max 20 and TCG Bulk 65 are still paused. PSA says it will keep reopening lower-priced tiers in phases as the backlog falls.
Should I wait for Value Bulk to reopen before submitting?
Usually not. Value at $39.99 is already open for cards up to $500, and Standard at $59.99 covers cards up to $1,000. Waiting months to save the bulk-tier difference rarely beats submitting a card that already clears pre-grading.
What are the best PSA alternatives during the backlog?
CGC has a $17 bulk tier (150 working days), SGC charges $50 with a 40-50 day turnaround, BGS only has Express open at $79.95 after re-closing Base/Standard on September 25, and TAG is Priority-only at $149.
How often does the PSA backlog tracker update?
PSA updates its public backlog tracker about every two weeks. This page is checked against those prints and updated when a new figure materially changes the picture; the last check was November 7, 2026.

Sources & Further Reading

Emily Rodriguez
Emily Rodriguez Contributor

Emily Rodriguez analyzes grading cost, population, and pricing data across PSA, BGS, SGC, CGC, and TAG. She built the PreGradeCards ROI calculator and submission planner, and her market reports on grading backlog, turnaround times, and slab premiums are cited by collectors and dealers worldwide.

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Related Coverage

PSA Reopens Value Service: What the $39.99 Tier Means → This Week in the Hobby — Nov 7, 2026 → PSA Backlog Tracker Explained → How Much Does PSA Grading Cost? 2026 Price Guide → Crossover Grading Strategy During the Backlog → Grading Backlog Survival Guide & Alternatives →