Pokemon Card Values Plummet as PSA Halts Grading Due to Tariffs

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Recently, I’ve noticed an incredible surge in the resale market for the Pokemon Trading Card Game, particularly with premium sets like the Scarlet & Violet – Prismatic Evolutions cards. Consequently, numerous collectors and resellers are submitting chase cards to grading companies such as PSA for evaluation. The PSA rating of a Pokemon card plays a significant role in its worth, so if I want to sell an Umbreon at a high price, it’s crucial to send it off for grading. However, this may become more challenging with the forthcoming adjustments to the PSA grading process due to the recently announced U.S. Tariffs.

Public Stamp Authentication (PSA) evaluates an assortment of trading cards, including Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) items. Among many grading services available, PSA is particularly renowned for its expertise. When scouring marketplaces like GameStop or eBay for Pokemon card resales, you’ll frequently find the PSA grade mentioned prominently in the listing title or description. This is because a PSA 10 rating will typically command the highest price compared to lower grades, so sellers aim to highlight their high-quality merchandise.

Usually, you send your card to a grading service like PSA or CGC by mail. However, a recent change in tariffs announced on April 2nd may affect goods transported to and from the U.S. To adapt to this situation, PSA is modifying its card grading process, including for Pokemon cards.

How Tariffs Are Impacting Pokemon Card Grading

Following the announcement of tariffs, PSA has announced a temporary halt in accepting grading submissions from customers residing outside the United States at their U.S. facilities. This move is taken to shield international clients from hefty tariff costs that may arise due to these new taxes. The tariffs will impact the cost of specific items being graded, not the fee for PSA’s services. Consequently, sending valuable cards for grading could lead to substantial extra charges.

The Umbreon EX card from the collection “Prismatic Evolutions” is currently worth over $3,000 if it receives a PSA grade, and even without grading, it can sell for more than $1,000. However, if tariffs are imposed in the range of 10-20%, this could result in additional fees of around $100 to $300 or more. To prevent customers from having to pay such high tariff charges on their cards, PSA is temporarily halting submissions outside the U.S. While they are investigating ways to help international customers through other authorized PSA dealers, this pause will ensure that buyers don’t get hit with unexpected tariffs.

In a recent announcement about pausing grading for trading cards, PSA advises customers in Canada and Japan to utilize local PSA services. For clients residing in countries outside the U.S., they may have to hold off until further notice as PSA seeks appropriate solutions to facilitate card grading. Currently, the Online Submission Center no longer accepts direct submissions from countries beyond the U.S. The statement also emphasizes that customers who choose to send cards despite this restriction will be liable for any applicable tariffs and taxes on their items. Therefore, it’s advisable to wait for official updates regarding alternative methods to secure a PSA rating for your Pokemon Cards.

Currently, U.S. customers can continue to have their cards graded as normal. Any orders shipped to the U.S. prior to the tariff implementation are unaffected, provided they were received in the U.S. before March 4th (for Canada) or April 5th (for other countries). For comprehensive information on how your specific country might be affected, please consult the full FAQ from PSA here.

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2025-04-03 22:44