Brian Miller

For me, the biggest sports-card scandal of 2026 is PSA, specifically its grading fees, value-based upcharges, and the amount of financial control it has over the very cards it grades. Think about the model: you pay PSA to determine the grade. That grade can dramatically increase the value of your card. PSA can then determine that the card is worth more than the service level you selected and increase what you owe based on the value created in large part by PSA’s own grade. That isn’t hypothetical. PSA’s current terms state that if PSA, in its sole discretion, determines a card exceeds the maximum insured value of the selected tier, it can require a higher grading fee. Their terms also allow certain service-level adjustments of up to $500 to be charged without additional notice or authorization. Meanwhile, current grading tiers jump from $79.99 to $149, $349, $599, $999 and ultimately $9,999+ per card, depending largely on the card's value. That's the part of this hobby I think deserves FAR more scrutiny. The company grading the card should not have a financial incentive tied to how valuable that card becomes after receiving its grade. I’ll stop short of calling it criminal, that's a legal conclusion, but opaque, predatory-looking, conflicted and extraordinarily anti-consumer? Absolutely. PSA has become powerful enough within the hobby that collectors should be asking much harder questions about this business model. #PSA #Sportscards #TCG #Grading