Professional Sports Authenticator

What Professional Sports Authenticator does

Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), founded in 1991 and headquartered in Southern California, is the world's largest third-party authentication and grading service for trading cards, autographs, tickets, packs, comic books, video games, and memorabilia. Its core product is a multi-step authenticity verification and condition grading on a proprietary 1–10 scale, followed by encapsulation in a tamper-evident sonically sealed "LightHouse" holder carrying a certification number; supporting tools include AI-assisted grading computer vision, blockchain-integrated certification, a mobile app with smart photo recognition, and an industry-wide Population Report, Auction Prices, Price Guide, CardFacts, and Set Registry data platform.

PSA operates four U.S. grading facilities (California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas), an international site in Tokyo, and the PSA Vault in New Castle, Delaware, which holds 1.9M+ items valued at $750M+ with 24/7 security and eBay-direct listing integration. It monetizes through tiered per-card grading fees from $24.99 (bulk, currently paused) to $9,999+ (Premium 10), Vault storage and withdrawal fees, eBay consignment take-rates (7–13%), PSA Partner Offers facilitation, Collectors Club subscriptions ($149–$199/year), and adjacent categories (autographs, tickets, comics, video games, photo-matched memorabilia). Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer via psacard.com and the app, retail in-store submission at GameStop, embedded distribution through GameStop Power Packs and eBay Authenticity Guarantee (US and UK), and a Partner Network of authorized dealers and institutional buyers.

Demand has materially outpaced capacity: 19M cards graded in 2025 (up 2M YoY), 8M+ in early 2026 (+39% YoY), with backlog exceeding 10M items and Value-tier services paused. Parent Collectors Holdings injected $200M in May 2026 explicitly for infrastructure, technology, and 1,000+ planned headcount additions.

Name

Professional Sports Authenticator

Legal name

Collectors Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://psacard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), founded 1991 and part of Collectors Holdings, is the world's largest third-party authentication and grading service for trading cards, autographs, tickets, and memorabilia, serving individual collectors, dealers, marketplaces (eBay, GameStop), and institutional buyers through tiered grading fees, its PSA Vault, and partner distribution channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collectibles Authentication & Grading Services

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Collectibles Grading & Authentication Services (CRAMAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Graded Cards & Third-Party Authentication Retail (CRALAGAD)

Keywords

• Trading card grading
• Collectibles authentication
• Memorabilia grading services
• Third-party authentication
• Card condition grading

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Card Grading Fees: PSA charges per-card grading fees ranging from $79.99 (Regular, 40-50 business days) up to $9,999+ (Premium 10, for cards valued over $350,000). Fees increase with turnaround speed and maximum insured value coverage. Value Bulk tier (currently paused) started at $24.99/card with 50-card minimum. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. PSA Vault Storage & Insurance: PSA generates recurring revenue from vault storage fees. Items vaulted over 90 days incur $1.99/item withdrawal fee; items withdrawn before 90 days incur an additional $4.99/item early withdrawal fee. U.S. withdrawal shipping is $5.99 per shipment (up to 50 items), Canada $24.99, international $31.99. The vault holds 1.9M+ items valued at $750M+.
3. eBay Consignment Fees: PSA charges a single consignment fee on eBay sales — 13% + $3 flat for sales under $100, 13% for $100-$499, 12% for $500-$999, 10% for $1,000-$2,499, 9% for $2,500-$4,999, and 7% for $5,000+. No additional eBay fees are charged to sellers. Over 1.8 million cards vaulted and sold through this channel.
4. PSA Partner Offers (Instant Cash Offers): PSA facilitates instant cash offers from vetted buyers in the PSA Partner Network for graded/vaulted cards. Offers appear at grade reveal or in vault. PSA facilitates the transaction and connects buyers with sellers. No fees charged to sellers on completed partner-offer sales.
5. Collectors Club Membership: Annual subscription tiers — Standard at $149/year and Premium at $199/year. Includes PSA Magazine subscription (with limited-edition promo cards and variant covers), bulk pricing access (currently paused), Card Ladder Pro (Premium tier, valued at $200/year), and member-exclusive grading specials (currently paused).
6. Additional Item Grading: PSA grades additional collectible categories beyond cards — autographs, tickets, packs, comic books & magazines, video games, photo matching & memorabilia, and photographs — each with category-specific pricing tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PSA is the world's largest and most recognized third-party authentication and grading service for trading cards and collectibles, having graded over 80 million items since 1991. It verifies authenticity, assigns condition grades on a proprietary 1–10 scale, and encapsulates each item in a tamper-evident sonically sealed holder. Beyond grading, PSA offers a secure insured vault for storage, full-service eBay consignment, an instant cash partner-offer network, and additional grading for autographs, tickets, packs, comic books, video games, and memorabilia.

Product overview

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) operates as a multi-service platform offering authentication and grading for collectibles. The core offering is the Trading Card Authentication & Grading service, which uses a 10-point grading scale and encapsulates cards in tamper-evident holders. This is complemented by the PSA Vault for secure storage and tax-free purchasing, eBay Consignment for seamless selling, and PSA Partner Offers for instant cash offers. Additional services include Autograph Authentication, Ticket/Pack/Comic Book/Video Game Grading, and Photo Matching. The platform also provides research tools including Cert Verification, Population Reports, Auction Prices, Card Facts, and Card Ladder integration. Membership is available through PSA Collectors Club with Standard and Premium tiers, while PSA Magazine delivers monthly editorial content. The PSA App enables submissions, vault management, and selling on-the-go.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PSA Vault: Secure storage facility for graded collectibles with insurance and eBay integration for selling.
• PSA Collectors Club
• PSA Partner Offers
• PSA Verified

Products and services

• Trading Card Authentication & Grading
• PSA Vault
• eBay Consignment
• PSA Partner Offers
• PSA Verified Repacks
• Autograph Authentication & Grading
• Ticket Grading
• Pack Grading
• Comic Book & Magazine Grading
• Video Game Grading
• Photo Matching & Memorabilia
• PSA Collectors Club
• PSA Magazine
• PSA App
• PSA Set Registry

Quantifiable outcome

• PSA-certified items outsell non-certified items in most sales and auctions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• eBayflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026PSA is the exclusive authentication partner for eBay's Authenticity Guarantee for trading cards, launched in the UK on May 6, 2026 for cards priced £500+. Cards are shipped to PSA's facility for multi-point physical inspection before delivery. PSA also operates its own eBay storefront for consignment sales. eBay acquired Goldin auction house and PSA's vault, integrating them into a combined trading card vault product.
• GameStopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026GameStop's Power Packs digital trading card platform (launched April 15, 2026) combines digital pack purchases ($25-$2,500) with real PSA-graded physical cards stored in the PSA Vault. Users can hold, ship, or instantly resell through GameStop or PSA's eBay integration. GameStop also offers in-store PSA grading submission at selected US stores since October 2024. GameStop trade-ins valued up to $1,500 flow through PSA.
• Goldin (acquired by eBay)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2024eBay acquired Goldin, a U.S.-based auction house for high-value trading cards, as part of its transactions with Collectors. A combined trading card vault product was scheduled for summer 2024. Goldin serves as the auction platform for high-profile PSA-graded card sales (e.g., Logan Paul's $16.492M Pikachu Illustrator, Ohtani's $430K card).
• PSA Partner Network (Dave & Adam's Card World, Burbank Sportscards, DICK'S Sporting Goods, CardsHQ, Hit Parade, WeTheHobby, Fanatics, Courtyard.io, GameStop)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPSA's partner network consists of industry-leading card shops, sporting goods retailers, and digital platforms that purchase graded cards through PSA Partner Offers and distribute them to collectors. Partners include Dave & Adam's Card World, Burbank Sportscards, DICK'S Sporting Goods, CardsHQ, Hit Parade, WeTheHobby, Fanatics, Courtyard.io, and GameStop Power Packs. PSA regularly reviews vault and newly graded inventory to identify items matching partner request lists.
• Elizabeth Gruene (PSA Market Analyst)minorOthersPSA's market analyst Elizabeth Gruene provides market commentary and insights on trading card game trends, including the 700% spike in One Piece card grading and diversification opportunities beyond Pokemon.
• Fanatics CollectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFanatics Collect brokered the record $5.11 million private transaction for Victor Wembanyama's 2023-24 Prizm Black one-of-one card, the most expensive basketball card without an autograph. Fanatics is also a PSA Partner buyer through the PSA Partner Offers program. Fanatics Collect acquired Topps in February 2024.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• TAG Grading: TAG Grading is an emerging tech-forward card grading competitor using AI-assisted grading to differentiate on turnaround time and consistency. TAG positions itself as a faster, more precise alternative to legacy graders like PSA and BGS for modern cards, appealing to collectors frustrated by PSA's backlog.
• Mint State Grading: Mint State Grading is a newer entrant in third-party card grading, offering a different encapsulation format and pricing structure. It represents an emerging alternative for collectors seeking differentiated grading services outside the PSA/BGS/SGC triumvirate.

Others

• Goldin Auctions: Goldin is a leading high-end sports and TCG auction house that has brokered record-setting PSA-graded card sales (e.g., Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator). Goldin was acquired by eBay as part of the Collectors transaction, making it a complementary channel rather than a true competitor but a key ecosystem participant in PSA's liquidity story.
• Courtyard.io: Courtyard.io is an NFT marketplace that tokenizes physical PSA-graded cards stored in vaults. It serves as a PSA Partner buyer and represents the digital-physical bridge for authenticated cards, offering collectors an alternative liquidity venue while relying on PSA's authentication as the underlying trust layer.

Broad incumbents

• Fanatics Collect: Fanatics Collect is a broad sports collectibles platform that acquired Topps (February 2024) and brokers high-value card transactions, including the $5.11M Wembanyama Prizm Black sale. Fanatics is both a PSA Partner buyer and a vertical competitor shaping the broader sports collectibles market in which PSA operates.
• eBay (Authenticity Guarantee): eBay is both PSA's largest channel partner (Authenticity Guarantee program, PSA Store consignment) and a broad incumbent in the secondary collectibles marketplace. eBay's ownership of the PSA vault infrastructure and Goldin auction house creates an intertwined but powerful counterparty dynamic for PSA.

Direct peers

• Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC): SGC is a direct competitor in third-party trading card grading, particularly strong in vintage sports cards. SGC has gained significant share in the vintage baseball and basketball card market over the past several years, directly competing with PSA on turnaround time, price, and grade accuracy for the same collector base.
• Beckett Grading Services (BGS): Beckett Grading Services is a direct competitor to PSA in sports and TCG card grading, using its own BGS 10-point scale with sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface. Beckett also operates Beckett Authentication Services for autographs, directly overlapping PSA's core grading and authentication offerings for the same hobbyist customer base.
• Certified Guaranty Company (CGC): CGC, part of the Certified Collectibles Group alongside CGCComics, expanded from comic book grading into trading card grading, directly entering PSA's primary market. CGC applies a similar third-party authentication model and is leveraging its brand credibility from comics to compete in sports and TCG cards.

Regional players

• HGA (Hong Kong Grading & Authentication): HGA is an Asia-focused card grading and authentication service based in Hong Kong, serving the large Asian TCG and sports card collecting market. HGA provides regional competition to PSA in Asian markets where PSA's Tokyo facility is its only Asian footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PSAcard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Sports Authenticator