Frequently Asked Questions

How to determine the max declared value of a card?​​​​​

A.) TCB suggests to take the raw value of the card when determining the declared value for your submission. Use recently sold eBay listings to help figure out an up to date value.​​

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I've submitted the online form, now what do I do?​​​​​

A.) Congrats on completing the online form and starting your grading journey! You will be receiving an email shortly after completing the form on the TCB website. In that email will be your submission information on an attached PDF. Please print out that PDF of your order and drop off your cards with the order form at Johnny Ford Sports Cards. The address to Johnny Ford is 3150 Plainfield Ave NE Suite E, Grand Rapids, MI 49525. The next communication you will receive from TCB after you drop off your cards, is when TCB creates the PSA Submission that includes your items. You will be emailed a PSA ID number and information about how to track your order.

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What cards qualify for the 2022/23 sports special service level?

• 2022 and 2023 sports cards sets only

  • Baseball (2022, 2023)

  • Basketball (2022-2023)

  • Soccer (2022-2023)

  • Hockey (2022-2023)

  • Football (2022, 2023)

  • Boxing/Wrestling/MMA (2022, 2023)

  • Golf (2022, 2023)

    • 2021-2022 Basketball and Hockey card sets do not apply

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What is an upcharge?

A.) After going through the grading process by PSA, if your card exceeds the maximum declared value for the service level you submitted your card through, you would be responsible to pay the difference of the grading fee for jumping up a service level. For example, if a card sent through the value level at $25 ($499 max declared value) receives a PSA 10 grade and is determined to have a value of $800. That card would then be charged under the next service level through PSA, which is the regular service, which has a price of $85. The customer would be responsible for paying the difference of the two service levels, which would be $85 minus $25, leaving the customer with an additional $60 they owe for grading fees.

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How do I know which service level to choose?

A.) Choosing a service level is solely up to the customer. However, keep in mind that the max declared value becomes a factor when submitting cards. The easiest way to determine what service level to use is to see the value of the card you're submitting and what the max declared value is for the different service levels being offered. The more expensive the service level, the quicker that card should be returned to you (turnaround times are estimates and not a sure thing). A card that is valued at $100 could technically be submitted under any of the service levels, this is not a suggested method for cards that have low values. If you're submitting a card that's worth $1,000 raw, that card is not permitted to be submitted under the value service level, since the value service level has a max declared value of $499.

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Quickest service level?

A.) PSA Super Express at $230 per card with a max declared value of $4,999.

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Does TCB offer grading on a card valued over $5,000?

A.) Yes, please stop by Johnny Ford and inquire about submitting cards valued $5,000 and higher.

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Cheapest service level?

A.) TCG Bulk at $19 per card (20 card minimum) and 2022/23 Sports Special at $20 per card (20 card minimum). Value level at $25 per card is the cheapest without a minimum order size.

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What are the 8 stages of PSA's grading process?

1.) Arrived

A. The submission has arrived at PSA.

2.) Order Prep

A. The submission will be reviewed, verified, and logged into the system in preparation for processing to begin.

3.) Research & ID

A. The submission will be researched so each item can be correctly identified on the PSA label.

4.) Grading

A. The submission will go through the authentication and grading process.

5.) Assembly

A. PSA labels will be printed, and each eligible item will be sonically sealed within a PSA holder.

6.) QA Check 1

A. The grades will be reviewed a second time for accuracy.

7.) QA Check 2

A. Labels are reviewed for errors, and holders are examined for defects.

8.) Shipping

A. Items are in the process of being shipped.

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Why is picking up/dropping off at a card shop an advantage?

A.) The biggest advantage is the customer not having to pay for any shipping costs. The customer can simply fill out the form and drop their cards off at the card shop. Also, this helps eliminates extra time cards would be traveling in the mail from the customer to TCB. Cards will be picked up and dropped off every Friday morning at Johnny Ford's by TCB.

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Does TCB offer auto authentication, card authentication, auto grading or dual grading?

A.) TCB does not offer any of these options. TCB solely offers card grading at varying service levels. Furthermore, any card that has been signed in person, meaning the card was not originally autographed from Panini, Topps, Upper Deck, etc., this card would not be eligible to be graded through TCB. PSA mandates that any card signed in person goes through their dual service, which TCB does not offer at this time.

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What does the light cleaning provided by TCB include?

A.) The light cleaning is a service that TCB offers free of charge for any card being submitted. The process consists of removing the card from the card saver/soft sleeve and using a microfiber cloth to clean off any excess dust/finger prints that may be on the card. This helps make the card more visually appealing when going through the grading process. TCB does not add any foreign substance to altar or clean the cards. Any card from 1991 and older will not receive this service.

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Does TCB offer cracking of slabs, crossover submissions, or accept jumbo/oversized cards?

A.) TCB does not offer any of these options. Furthermore, PSA does not currently accept booklet cards for grading.

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When do I pay?

A.) Payment is required in full when dropping off your cards at the participating local card shop. Cash and cards are accepted, any payment made with a credit/debit card will be charged an additional 3% to their total.

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Does grade cards older than 1980?

A.) Yes and no. Any cards older than 1980 need to be submitted under the regular, express or super express levels. Vintage cards are not accepted under the Value level through TCB.

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Does TCB take Pokemon, Yugioh or Garbage Pail Kids?

A.) Yes!

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How do you keep my cards from getting mixed up with other customers?

A.) The order that the cards are inputted into the PSA submission is the same order that PSA will grade the cards. All cards are sent to PSA in the same order that they are put on the submission. The first way to help separate customers cards is that the serial numbers will be in chronological order based off the submission information provided by TCB. The second way, is that the cards are grouped together by customer. If a customer submits five cards, those five cards will be inputted into the PSA submission form next to each other, also in the same order that is listed on the order form that the customer filled out on the TCB website. The third, is in the submission tracker on the TCB website. The last part of the tracker information for each order showcases the names of everyone in the order. After each name is a (number), the order that those names are listed is the order that the PSA order is created. For example, if the submission tracker shows Alex B. (5), Nathan T. (4), this would mean that Alex B has the first five cards in the PSA order and the next four belong to Nathan T.

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Does TCB offer raw card evaluations?

A.) Yes! TCB currently offers raw card evaluations for $2 per card. Grades are estimates and not guaranteed by TCB or PSA. Only accepting cards from 1990 and newer, no vintage. Once evaluations are completed, TCB will contact you via email about the results. Customers will have the opportunity to immediately send any of those cards out for grading. Turnaround time for all raw card evaluations is one week from TCB getting the cards in hand.

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How do I check on my order?

A.) TCB keeps a detailed google sheet that shows updates on all the orders being submitted. This sheet can be found under the submission tracker page on the TCB website. The sheet will be updated every Wednesday and Sunday! The sheet will show the last date it was updated in the title of the sheet.

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How are my cards insured?

A.) TCB has business insurance that covers general and shipping.

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What are qualifiers and do I have a choice in receiving them?

A.) Qualifiers are an addition to the numerical grade that PSA gives cards. There are required and option qualifiers, none of which the customer has a choice in receiving or not. PSA recently updated their policies so that the PSA graders have the final decision if a card receives a qualifier, the customers no longer have an input if they want qualifiers on their PSA label or not. Read this article by PSA to fully understand qualifiers and what goes into the decision making.

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How do I know when my order is being shipped to PSA and when it's ready to be picked up at my local card shop?

A.) Both of these scenarios would be communicated by TCB via email to the customer! When an order is created and shipped to PSA the customer will be emailed a PSA ID number, which will help them track their order via the submission tracker on the TCB website. When the order is completed and dropped off at the participating card shop, the customer would get another email alerting them their order is ready for pickup!

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What are the turnaround times for each service level?

A.) All turnaround times by PSA are estimated and not guaranteed. Currently, the value and tcg bulk service levels are estimating 65 business days, the regular service level is estimating 10 business days, the express service level is estimating 5 business days, and the super express service level is estimating 3 business days. (Updated as of July 21, 2023)