As of October 2026, two of the four companies compared here verifiably accept raw comics for grading: CGC ($27 per modern book in a 25-book bulk order, $30 otherwise, about 45 working days) and PSA ($29.99, 40 to 50 business days). CBCS stopped taking new submissions on April 17, 2026. PGX lists $14 grading, but its status is unverified.
Every fee, turnaround and status below comes from each company's own pages, checked on October 10, 2026. These numbers change, so re-check the official page on the day you submit.
The October 2026 comparison table
| Service | Accepting comics? | Entry fee, as of Oct 2026 | Published turnaround | Restoration labeling | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC | Yes (fee page) | $27 per modern book (1975 on) in a 25-book bulk order, $30 otherwise, $45 vintage; all up to $400 value, plus $5 per online invoice | 45 working days for modern and vintage tiers (25 with a $15 Fast Track); 10 for High Value; 5 for Unlimited Value | Restored label, rated from slight professional (A-1) to extensive amateur (C-5); separate Conserved label (labels) | Witnessed Signature Series, pressing, Grade PreScreen; a free account can submit, and paid memberships save 10 or 20 percent on grading |
| PSA | Yes, since July 14, 2025 | $29.99 per modern book (1975 on, up to $400 insured value), $44.99 vintage, no handling fee | 40 to 50 business days for Modern; 50 to 60 for Vintage; 5 to 7 at the two top tiers | "Restored" with a professional or amateur call and a level from A to E; "Conserved"; separate "Trimmed" and "Married" | Grader Notes and imaging included; autograph Dual Service, pressing, crossover from other holders; no membership needed |
| CBCS | No. Closed to new submissions on April 17, 2026 (notice) | n/a | n/a | Books already graded stay documented in its database | Its site still links to the population report and a grading-notes lookup (site) |
| PGX | Unverified | Its pricing page lists $14 per modern book (1978 on), $20 and $28 for older books, no membership | Its own pages give 20, 30 and about 40 business days | Says it checks every book for restoration; label wording not described | Site at pgxcomics.com (plain HTTP only); newest news post is from November 2018; confirm directly before you ship |
Fees are per book, before shipping, insurance and add-ons such as pressing. CGC counts working days from the day a submission arrives. PSA counts business days from when it receives the order and enters it into its system. Both say their estimates are not guaranteed.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
Older comparison tables are now wrong in two places: one service closed, and another started grading comics.
PSA began grading comics in July 2025
PSA opened online comic and magazine submissions on July 14, 2025, according to its own announcement. As of October 2026, its comic grading page lists eight standard tiers, from Modern at $29.99 to Premier at $399 (insured value up to $10,000), plus separate Premium options for books insured above $10,000. Each tier includes Premium Imaging and Grader Notes, with no handling fee. PSA grades comics on a decimal scale from 0.3 to 10 and seals each book in a tamper-evident case.
CBCS stopped taking submissions on April 17, 2026
CBCS's parent company announced on March 24, 2026 that it would shut CBCS down, to focus on its main brand. New submissions stopped on April 17, 2026, and orders received by that date continued through grading. The notice says the CBCS population report stays available and that books CBCS already graded remain documented in its database. The parent company's website was offline when checked on October 10, 2026, so here is an archived copy of the notice.
For context, in December 2025 PSA's parent company announced an agreement to acquire CBCS's parent company.
If you own a book in a CBCS holder, the label is still checkable on the CBCS site, which as of October 2026 still links to its population report and a grading-notes lookup. If you want the book in another holder, PSA lists a crossover service for books graded by other companies. PSA charges the full grading fee even if the book misses your minimum grade, and a book that passes the outside check but fails on the interior can come back raw.
CGC's current fees took effect January 6, 2026
CGC announced revised fees on December 9, 2025, effective January 6, 2026. The change lowered the Modern Bulk minimum to 25 books and added a Vintage Bulk tier. The resulting fees are the ones in the table, and they still match CGC's fee page as of October 2026.
PGX is online, but its status is unverified
PGX's site, pgxcomics.com, loads as of October 2026, but only over plain HTTP, so this article names its pages instead of linking them. Its "Services & Pricing" page lists flat fees: $14 per modern book (1978 on), with no membership, and its legal page says it checks every book for restoration. The site does not say when those fees were set. The newest post in its news section dates from November 2018, and its pages disagree with each other. The standard turnaround reads 20 business days on the pricing page, 30 on the home page, and about 40 on the "Submit your books" page. The fee cap for books worth $4,000 or more reads $800 on one page and $500 on the other.
Treat every PGX number as unverified as of October 2026, and confirm fees and turnaround with PGX before you ship a book.
How fees and turnaround times are set
You pick a tier by the book's fair market value, and each tier has a cap. At CGC, the modern and vintage tiers cover books worth up to $400, High Value ($105) covers up to $1,000, and Unlimited Value costs 4 percent of fair market value with a $135 minimum. If CGC decides a book is worth more than you declared, it moves the book to the right tier and bills you the difference. PSA's caps step up from $400 to $1,500, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000.
Publication year sets the modern or vintage price. CGC and PSA both draw the line at 1975, and PGX's pricing page uses 1978. A Bronze Age book from 1976 therefore pays the modern fee at CGC and PSA.
At CGC, membership changes the price. Its listed fees are for free accounts, and paid memberships save 10 or 20 percent on grading. PSA's FAQ says no membership is needed to submit, and PGX says it has none.
Then add the extras:
- Handling. CGC charges $5 per online invoice ($8 on paper). PSA lists no handling fee.
- Pressing. CGC pressing costs $12 per modern book ($10 each in a 25-book bulk order) and adds an estimated 45 working days to grading (pressing fees). PSA pressing starts at $11.99, with an estimate of 55 to 65 business days including grading.
- Shipping and insurance, both ways. PGX requires insurance on every order.
Example numbers, not quotes: five modern books worth under $400 each, sent online without add-ons, cost 5 x $30 + $5 = $155 at CGC and 5 x $29.99 = $149.95 at PSA, before shipping and insurance.
Which service fits which job
No service is best for every book, so match the service to the job. If you plan to sell, check recent sold listings for your exact issue in each company's holder; buyers in your market decide which label they pay more for.
A high-value key you plan to sell
This is the strongest case for professional grading. Restoration and trimming need in-hand screening, and a tamper-evident holder is part of what a buyer pays for. CGC and PSA both check every book for restoration and say so on the label when they find it.
Example numbers, not quotes: a book worth $3,000 costs $135 at CGC's Unlimited Value tier (4 percent would be $120, under the $135 minimum), with a 5-working-day estimate. At PSA it needs the $199 Super Express tier (insured up to $5,000), with an estimate of 5 to 7 business days. Declare the real value, and insure the shipment for it.
Modern books you plan to flip
Here the fee is the problem. At $27 to $30 a book, plus shipping both ways, grading can eat a large share of a modern book's sale price. The entry tiers are CGC Modern Bulk ($27, 25-book minimum, about 45 working days) and PSA Modern ($29.99, 40 to 50 business days).
CGC's Grade PreScreen helps on a batch. You set a minimum grade, and a book that misses it is not encapsulated and costs $9 instead of the tier fee ($5 in a bulk order). Run the boring slabbing math before you fill the box.
Signed books
If the book is not signed yet and you want the signature witnessed, CGC Signature Series generally requires a CGC representative or authorized witness to see the signing (how it works). Its fees start at $53 per modern book, or $50 each in a 25-book bulk order (fees).
If the book is already signed without a witness, CGC authenticates the autograph for $30 per signature on top of grading. PSA's Dual Service authenticates the autograph and grades the book from $54.99 per modern book, with an estimate of 65 to 75 business days. CBCS signature programs are no longer an option, since CBCS takes no new submissions. PGX lists $15 per signature, but its status is unverified.
A book you think is restored
Both active services grade restored books and say so on the label. CGC's Restored label rates the work from slight professional (A-1) to extensive amateur (C-5), and its Conserved label covers structural repairs such as tear seals, staple replacement and piece reattachment. PSA marks a book "Restored" with a professional or amateur call and a level from A (slight) to E (extensive). It uses "Conserved" for professional conservation and separate "Trimmed" and "Married" designations.
CGC also lists a screening service at 1 percent of fair market value ($15 minimum) that checks a book for authenticity, completeness, restoration and press potential, plus a restoration removal service (pressing and screening fees). CGC does not count pressing, dry cleaning or tape removal as restoration, and it treats tape as a defect.
A budget run of lower-value books
The lowest verified per-book fees as of October 2026 are CGC Modern Bulk at $27 (25-book minimum) and PSA Modern at $29.99. PGX's $14 is lower, but unverified. For a lower-value book, the fee and shipping can cost more than a slab adds to the sale price. If you sell raw, clear photos of the back cover, spine, corners and interior, plus an honest description, may be enough for the buyer. Grading a comic without sending it away covers that route.
Where a photo-based pre-check fits
We make NuGrade, an AI-assisted grading app for raw comics, so weigh this section with that in mind. NuGrade does not grade for a holder, and it is not a substitute for CGC or PSA. It helps with the step before them: deciding which books are worth a fee.
You photograph the book on your phone: seven stills (front cover, back cover, the centerfold staple seam and four corner close-ups) plus a slow spine pass and a page flip-through video. A short survey asks what the camera cannot see, such as pressing, cleaning, color touch, trimming, odor or a brittle feel. The report gives a 10-point grade with a plausible range, findings that each cite the photo or video frame they came from, and a "why not higher" explanation that names the limiting defect. The book never leaves your hands.
Two public sample reports show how that feeds a submit decision. The Green Lantern #59 report came back 5.5 FN-, range 5.0 VG/FN to 6.5 FN+, limited by a row of short color-breaking stress ticks along most of the spine. Color breaks are not something pressing can fix, so the math has to work at mid-grade. The E-Man #1 report came back 9.2 NM-, range 8.5 VF+ to 9.4 NM, with only two production findings. That kind of result is worth pricing a submission for, knowing the in-hand grade can differ.
A practical way to use the range: price each candidate at the low end of its range, not at the headline grade. If the book still covers the grading fee, shipping and your time at that grade, it goes in the box. If the numbers work only at the top of the range, keep it raw or send it with a minimum-grade pre-screen.
Know the limits. Competent restoration can be invisible in ambient-light photos, so NuGrade marks restoration "Unverified" when the photos cannot establish it. Trimming needs in-hand screening. Odor and brittleness come only from your survey answers, and defects below what the photos resolve may exist. For an investment-grade book, professional grading is still the right call. Pre-grading before submission covers what a pre-check can and cannot tell you, and anyone can verify a NuGrade report by its ID on the lookup page.
Check these before you ship
- Re-read the official fee page on the day you submit, and note the date. The fees above are as of October 2026.
- Declare fair market value honestly and pick the tier that covers it.
- Count turnaround in working or business days from arrival, and add time for pressing or signature services.
- Budget for shipping and insurance both ways.
- Expect to lose the supplies. CGC's fee page says it does not return bags, backing boards or other storage materials sent in with a book.
- Photograph the book before it ships: front, back, spine and corners. That gives you a dated record of its condition.
- For PGX, confirm status, fees and turnaround directly before you send anything.
NuGrade is independent of, and not endorsed by, CGC, CBCS, PSA or PGX. These names are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify their services.
Frequently asked questions
Is CBCS still grading comics?
No. CBCS stopped accepting new submissions on April 17, 2026, after its parent company announced the shutdown on March 24, 2026. Its population report stays online, and books it already graded remain documented in its database.
What is the cheapest way to get a comic professionally graded in 2026?
As of October 2026, the lowest verified per-book fees for a modern comic are CGC's $27 Modern Bulk tier (25-book minimum, plus $5 per online invoice) and PSA's $29.99 Modern tier. PGX lists $14 per modern book, but its status is unverified. Shipping and insurance both ways cost extra.
How long do CGC and PSA take to grade a comic right now?
As of October 2026, CGC estimates 45 working days for its modern and vintage tiers, and PSA estimates 40 to 50 business days for its Modern tier. Both call these estimates, not guarantees, and the faster tiers cost more.
Do CGC and PSA label restored comics?
Yes. Both check every comic for restoration. CGC uses a Restored label rated from slight professional to extensive amateur, plus a separate Conserved label, and PSA prints "Restored" with a level from A to E, or "Conserved", "Trimmed" or "Married" where they apply.
Can a NuGrade report replace a CGC or PSA grade?
No. A NuGrade report is an evidence-bounded opinion based on your photos and video, not a grade from a holder service, and it does not replace in-hand professional grading. It can help you decide which books are worth a grading fee.
