PSA published its sixth fortnightly backlog figure on Tuesday, October 6: 8.2 million cards, down from 9 million on September 22 and from 12.4 million at the July 28 peak. That is 4.2 million cleared in ten weeks, a 34 percent reduction.
| Date | Backlog | Two-week change | Weekly pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 28 | 12.4M | - | - |
| August 11 | 11.85M | -550,000 | 275,000 |
| August 25 | 10.9M | -950,000 | 475,000 |
| September 8 | 9.9M | -1,000,000 | 500,000 |
| September 22 | 9.0M | -900,000 | 450,000 |
| October 6 | 8.2M | -800,000 | 400,000 |
The Standard tier test
The $59.99 Standard tier opened September 14, and every card submitted to it joins the same active backlog. Last week we set the test: 8.1 million would mean the clearance pace held; above 8.3 million would mean Standard's inflow was slowing it. The answer, 8.2 million, is in between and closer to the good end. The net pace has eased from 450,000-500,000 a week to about 400,000, which is consistent with a modest Standard inflow on top of the 30th Celebration wave, and not with a tier that is filling the queue faster than it drains. For twenty cards, Standard costs $1,199.80 against $659.80 at the old Value rate, which is enough of a gap to keep most Value-tier submitters waiting.
The arithmetic, updated
From 8.2 million to 5 million is 3.2 million cards. At 400,000 a week that is eight weeks, which lands in the first week of December. At 450,000 it is seven weeks, the last week of November. The remaining risk to the date is Delta Reign on November 6, which adds a submission wave; the 30th Celebration experience (a launch inside the September 8 to 22 window, with the pace barely moving) suggests it will cost a week at most. PSA's own language this week, "assess reopening additional service tiers in the coming months," is the most forward-leaning it has used. Our planning date for the Value tiers is unchanged: December, first half.
What it means for the Standard tier
If Value reopens in December, a card submitted to Standard today (90-100 business days, roughly late February) will come back after a Value submission made in December would. That is the case against Standard for anything you can wait on, and the case for Express ($149, 20-30 days) for anything you cannot.
Sources: Heavy, October 6, 2026; PSA backlog tracker.
Chart of the Day ran in The Pack Report, October 8, 2026: The First Trophy Pikachu Is Up for Auction, and PSA Is at 8.2 Million. Published by Rip Station.