PSA Experiment: Direct vs. Gamestop Submission

[tipandpick]

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence in this forum suggesting that Gamestop has become the preferred method for submitting cards to PSA for grading. I decided to do an experiment to test that hypothesis.

Details: I tried to stack the deck in favor of direct submittal. My direct submission included only 2 cards (x 10 of each): 2024 Bowman Draft refractors of Trey Yesavage and Nick Kurtz. My Gamestop submission included 22 different cards, most of which are ultra modern baseball. The direct submission should theoretically fly threw Research & ID, whereas the Gamestop submission will require more effort. I dropped off both submissions within minutes of one another on Friday, so it should be interesting to see what happens from here. I'll keep this post updated in real-time.

Total cost:

**Direct submission: 20 cards insured for up to $2,000 --> $490.17
**Gamestop submission: 22 cards insured for up to $11,000 --> $493.77


Current advantage goes to Gamestop who insures every card for full value-bulk value of $500/card. Bigger advantage is that you don't have to identify the cards; just penny sleeve them, slide into a CardSaver, and drop them off. Big time-saver. Oh, and as you can see, I basically got two extra cards graded for the same price by going through Gamestop.

Submission #01 [Direct to PSA]
Order Type: Value Bulk
# of cards: 20
Est. date :
Order shipped: 10/24/2025
Order received per PSA:
Entered Research & ID:
Grading:
Assembly:
QA Check :
Grades Ready :
Shipped:

Submission #02 [via Gamestop]
Order Type: Value Bulk
# of cards: 22
Est. date :
Order dropped off: 10/24/25
Order shipped:
Order received per PSA:
Entered Research & ID:
Grading:
Assembly:
QA Check :
Grades Ready :
Shipped:

[discodanman45]

The $500 is the maximum compensation you can get, not what they are insured at. If they lose your cards, you won't get a check for $11,000.

[tipandpick]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

The $500 is the maximum compensation you can get, not what they are insured at. If they lose your cards, you won't get a check for $11,000.

Of course...I didn't mean to insinuate that they'd pay me $500 for a raw, non-autographed Trey Yesavage refractor. Sorry if it read that way.

But, to be clear, they are insured for $500 per card. The actual payout, however, is subject the actual value of the card.

[waytoomanycards]

I get charged $470.18 for a 20 card direct submission if the declared value is under a grand (return shipping $30.38). I've never used the $500 default value, and I'm assuming the cutoff for the lowest shipping charge is still 1k.

The advantages with direct subs are just getting offers and getting charged when grades pop instead of getting charged at the counter at Gamestop. They do appear to be slower, though.

[jbettis32]

Originally Posted by tipandpick

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence in this forum suggesting that Gamestop has become the preferred method for submitting cards to PSA for grading. I decided to do an experiment to test that hypothesis.

Details: I tried to stack the deck in favor of direct submittal. My direct submission included only 2 cards (x 10 of each): 2024 Bowman Draft refractors of Trey Yesavage and Nick Kurtz. My Gamestop submission included 22 different cards, most of which are ultra modern baseball. The direct submission should theoretically fly threw Research & ID, whereas the Gamestop submission will require more effort. I dropped off both submissions within minutes of one another on Friday, so it should be interesting to see what happens from here. I'll keep this post updated in real-time.


Shipped:

You should separate those 10 Yesavage & Kurtz (5 each randomly) into two subs for better idea. You can't tell if there is any flavor for sending different cards through personal & Game Stop.

[tipandpick]

Originally Posted by jbettis32

You should separate those 10 Yesavage & Kurtz (5 each randomly) into two subs for better idea. You can't tell if there is any flavor for sending different cards through personal & Game Stop.

The sole intent of the experiment is to determine turnaround time for each process.

I didn't think there was any value in separating the Kurtz/Yesavage into each submission simply because any differences in grading could be attributed to a) the individual cards themselves, and/or b) the grader in question. In both cases, any differences would be meaningless. JMO.

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by tipandpick

Bigger advantage is that you don't have to identify the cards; just penny sleeve them, slide into a CardSaver, and drop them off.

How does that work when you check your order and see cards missing?

Do they identify them at GS or when they get to PSA?

[tipandpick]

Originally Posted by Blazed

How does that work when you check your order and see cards missing?

Do they identify them at GS or when they get to PSA?

Both you and Gamestop take photos of all of your cards (laid out on the counter) first. Gamestop then prints a series of bar-coded labels, attaching them to the back of each CardSaver before you leave. So there is 'proof' of what you submitted.

I printed a list of all the cards and they refused it--they said that PSA does all the ID when it arrives at PSA HQ. To me, it's pretty remarkable that they are still able to process Gamestop submissions more quickly than those where the cards have been pre-identified by the consumer (even if a small % of them are misidentified).

[tipandpick]

Originally Posted by tipandpick

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence in this forum suggesting that Gamestop has become the preferred method for submitting cards to PSA for grading. I decided to do an experiment to test that hypothesis.

Details: I tried to stack the deck in favor of direct submittal. My direct submission included only 2 cards (x 10 of each): 2024 Bowman Draft refractors of Trey Yesavage and Nick Kurtz. My Gamestop submission included 22 different cards, most of which are ultra modern baseball. The direct submission should theoretically fly threw Research & ID, whereas the Gamestop submission will require more effort. I dropped off both submissions within minutes of one another on Friday, so it should be interesting to see what happens from here. I'll keep this post updated in real-time.

Total cost:

**Direct submission: 20 cards insured for up to $2,000 --> $490.17
**Gamestop submission: 22 cards insured for up to $11,000 --> $493.77


Current advantage goes to Gamestop who insures every card for full value-bulk value of $500/card. Bigger advantage is that you don't have to identify the cards; just penny sleeve them, slide into a CardSaver, and drop them off. Big time-saver. Oh, and as you can see, I basically got two extra cards graded for the same price by going through Gamestop.

Submission #01 [Direct to PSA]
Order Type: Value Bulk
# of cards: 20
Est. date :
Order shipped: 10/24/2025
Order received per PSA: 10/27/2025
Entered Research & ID:
Grading:
Assembly:
QA Check :
Grades Ready :
Shipped:

Submission #02 [via Gamestop]
Order Type: Value Bulk
# of cards: 22
Est. date :
Order dropped off: 10/24/25
Order shipped: 10/27/2025
Order received per PSA: 10/28/2025
Entered Research & ID:
Grading:
Assembly:
QA Check :
Grades Ready :
Shipped:

Direct submission jumps to the lead. Just received notification that it arrived today.

Still no word of shipment from Gamestop, although I was told that they ship weekly, typically on Sunday or Monday...although this is presumably unique to each individual Gamestop.

[inaka]

My prediction: you will receive your Gamestop order back a solid month before you get your cards back if you mailed it in. It will take about a month before PSA even enters your personal order into their system.

Also, with the GameStop order, be sure to take lots of photos front/back of your cards. With the GameStop order, you won't get access to the pre-grading scans, and thus, be unable to have evidence when/if PSA damages your cards.

[bub838]

A single order direct and a single order via GameStop isn’t going to show anything meaningful. They process tens of thousands of orders in three different states.

[waytoomanycards]

BTW, the estimated TA times for gamestop are 3 weeks quicker than shipping direct with value bulk (50 vs 65 business days).

https://www.gamestop.com/card-grading-service

[anusinha]

If you take a look at the labels GS puts on your cards, it says PSA-Value. So I assume they are being grading at value speed and not bulk speed.

[KGD54]

As someone who has cards at both your gamestop order will be MUCH faster.
I have a drop off order at gamestop from 8/28 that gamestop mailed on 9/1, i got the email today that i can pick them up at gamestop. I also had another order 2 weeks later that i just got grades back from and should be able to pick up tomorrow. (that was mailed off sept 15th).
Meanwhile I have a JUNE vintage special, that I dropped off in person at a PSA event in mid July that is sitting in QA currently. They are actually ahead of the 75 business day turnaround on that order so i am not complaining about that, as i knew the deal when i submitted, but Gamestop orders are coming in MUCH faster. I will note my gamestop orders have been hammered pretty hard, grades have not done well.

To add my gamestop order has a cert number starting with 130,000,000
while my personal bulk order has cert numbers at 124,000,000