PSA published its fortnightly backlog update on Tuesday, September 22: 9 million cards in the active queue, down from 9.9 million on September 8 and from 12.4 million at the July 28 peak. That is 900,000 cleared in two weeks, 3.4 million since July, and a pace of roughly 450,000 a week that held through the first week of 30th Celebration submissions. PSA credited the Plano, Texas hub and a new operation in Frankfurt.
Six readings
| Date | Backlog | Change |
|---|---|---|
| July 28 | 12.4 million | peak |
| August 11 | 11.85 million | -550,000 |
| August 25 | 10.9 million | -950,000 |
| September 8 | 9.9 million | -1,000,000 |
| September 22 | 9.0 million | -900,000 |
The Standard tier
On September 8 PSA said it could evaluate reopening "a service tier" before the end of the month. What arrived, announced September 9 and live September 14, is a new tier rather than a reopened one. Standard costs $59.99 per card, carries a $1,000 maximum declared value and quotes 90-100 business days, roughly five months. The former Regular tier has been renamed Priority and still costs $79 with its 70-80 day quote. PSA has said explicitly that Standard is not a replacement for the four paused Value tiers (Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max, $24.99 to $64.99 before the June 2 suspension), and that Standard submissions are processed after the Value and Bulk orders already in the queue.
The tier table now
| Tier | Fee | Quoted turnaround | Max declared value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value tiers | $24.99-64.99 | paused since June 2 | - |
| Standard (new, Sep 14) | $59.99 | 90-100 business days | $1,000 |
| Priority (was Regular) | $79 | 70-80 business days | - |
| Express | $149 | 20-30 business days | - |
| Super Express | $349 | 10-15 business days | - |
| Walk-Through | $599 | 7-10 business days | - |
Who Standard is for
Almost nobody, on the current quotes. Saving $19 against Priority costs an extra month of waiting, and the $1,000 cap excludes any card where the grading decision really matters. It is a tier for collectors with large stacks of $50 to $300 cards who were waiting for Value and would rather pay $60 now than $25 in December. The honest advice from our August 27 math still holds: if a card is worth grading, Express at $149 and a month is usually the better trade, and if it is not worth $149, it is probably not worth $60 and five months either.
When Value reopens
PSA restated the threshold: under 5 million. From 9 million at 450,000 a week is about nine weeks, which puts the Value tiers in the last week of November on the current trend. Two things could move that: Frankfurt ramping (sooner) and the Delta Reign launch on November 6 sending a second wave of modern submissions (later). We would plan for December.
Sources: Heavy, September 22, 2026; PreGradeCards, September 9, 2026; PSA backlog tracker.
The Lead ran in The Pack Report, September 24, 2026: PSA at Nine Million, a $59.99 Tier, and a $1,000 Machine. Published by Rip Station.