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CollectAuraPSA & CGC 2026 price hikes: timeline and FR alternatives
In four months, the two US grading leaders updated their tariffs twice. PSA raised the entry tier, CGC fragmented its bulk tiers, and the hashtag #NoPSAMay became a thing on Reddit and X. Meanwhile, CGC opened a full-time Munich hub and French graders gained market share. Here’s the timeline, the numbers, and the practical exit routes.
The gist
- PSA Value Bulk went from $18.99 to $24.99 in February 2026; Regular jumped from $50 to $79.99.
- CGC: Bulk to $15 in January 2026, second round in March (Modern Bulk $10, Vintage Bulk $27, min. 25 cards).
- CGC Munich hub open full-time since January 2026, direct FR submissions possible.
- #NoPSAMay: month-long community boycott, relayed by French intermediaries (PokéLoutre, Fuji-Store).
- Four mature FR alternatives: PCA, CCC, SFG, CollectAura.
2026 hike timeline
January 2026: CGC opens the dance
CGC published its first adjustment on January 8, 2026, after an internal review of post-2025 logistics costs. The Bulk tier gained $3 to reach $15, Economy went to $18, and Standard stayed at $55 with the official turnaround tightened to 14 business days. At the same time, CGC announced the full-time opening of the Munich TCG hub, covering Europe without routing through Sarasota: a structural change few FR submitters saw coming.
February 2026: the PSA hike that triggered #NoPSAMay
On February 18, 2026, PSA published the most unpopular update in its modern history (reported by Athlon Sports). Three lines sum it up:
- Value Bulk: $18.99 → $24.99 (+31.6 %), declared value cap unchanged at $499.
- Regular: $50 → $79.99 (+60 %), new cap at $1,499.
- Express and Super Express held, Walk-Through aligned at $600 for items > $5,000.
On Reddit r/PokemonTCG and r/PSA, #NoPSAMay emerged within 72 hours. The idea: suspend all PSA submissions for the month of May to pressure communication and service quality. PokéLoutre and Fuji-Store publicly relayed; several French YouTubers published « after PSA, I go FR » comparison videos.
March 2026: CGC second round, bulk fragmentation
On March 14, 2026, CGC published a second update splitting bulks by era: Modern Bulk at $10, Vintage Bulk at $27, and a minimum of 25 cards per shipment to qualify for bulk tiers. The logic: avoid 5-card $10 submissions and concentrate operations on profitable batches. Side effect, the minimum CGC ticket rises to $250 in Modern Bulk before shipping.
May 2026: #NoPSAMay lives its month
May saw a measurable drop in PSA submissions from Europe (unofficial numbers, cross-checked on PokéLoutre’s Discord). PSA hasn’t issued an adjustment communication. Will pressure subside in June? Probably, but the damage is done: the PSA resale premium remains strong on US vintage, but the French community has clearly diversified.
The numbers
| Service | Before 2026 | After Jan/Feb/Mar 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA Value Bulk | $18.99 | $24.99 | +31.6 % |
| PSA Regular | $50 | $79.99 | +60 % |
| PSA Express | $149 | $149 | = |
| CGC Bulk (pre-split) | $12 | $15 | +25 % |
| CGC Modern Bulk | n/a | $10 (min. 25 cards) | new tier |
| CGC Vintage Bulk | n/a | $27 (min. 25 cards) | new tier |
| CGC Standard | $50 | $55 | +10 % |
Sources: PSA Submission Updates (athlonsports.com, Feb 18, 2026), CGC Comics News (cgccomics.com/news/article/14659, Jan 8, 2026), confirmed by official psacard.com and cgccards.com pages (verified May 11, 2026).
The CGC Munich hub changes the math
Since January 2026, CGC Munich operates full-time on the TCG segment. Concretely, a French submitter can ship a card to Munich (Germany, intra-EU) instead of Sarasota (Florida). Consequences:
- No import VAT on return. The slab stays inside the EU, no customs declaration.
- Reduced turnaround. Munich advertises 14 business days in Standard, where Sarasota varied 30-45.
- No mandatory intermediary. French submitters can process directly, without PokéLoutre surcharge.
- International tariffs. CGC publishes a separate EU grid, 5-10 % above the US grid.
It’s the first time a US grader offers a full-time EU entry point. Short term, it pushes CGC into credible alternative to PSA for the European modern market.
The four French alternatives
PCA: the historical path
European leader since 2015, based in Paris (16th arrondissement). 4-formula × 4-bracket pricing: Classic ≤ €100 at €10.90, Standard at €14.90, Premium at €24.90, Excelsior at €49. Turnaround 30 to 90 days depending on formula. Strong notoriety on the FR market, decent resale premium on €100-500 cards. Direct submission, no intermediary.
CCC: value-based transparency
Value-based pricing €17-28 by declared value, plus a flat €17 Crossover tier to re-grade a PSA/CGC slab into CCC. Drop-off in Arcueil for items > €501, public and readable tariff page. Active community, fast support. Currently the best price/quality balance.
SFG: the entry-tier floor
Société Française de Gradation, based in Vaulx-en-Velin (69), founded in 2022. Classic tier at €8.50, Full-art at €12.90 (INPI-patented label where the illustration extends onto the slab), Solana animated NFT option at +€15 if relevant. Modest but growing volume, ideal for entry-level cards and « for fun » collections.
CollectAura: the multi-service player
Based in Saint-Cloud, launched 2023. 4-tier × 3-speed grid (Standard €9.90, Subgrade €11.90, Advanced €17.90, Booster €30), plus an upstream Pre-Grading service at €4.90 (resealable sleeve + Card Saver + tamper-evident label, without the final slab). 6,000+ custom labels included. Confirmed retail presence (Micromania, PokeMael).
How to decide
Three common scenarios:
- Modern card €50-300. CGC via Munich or CCC value-based. Avoid PSA Value Bulk: $25 + intermediary = €60 equivalent, off-margin.
- Vintage WOTC €500+. PSA keeps the premium, but seriously compare CGC: the discount has melted in 5 years.
- First submission, tight budget. SFG or CollectAura Pre-Grading, €5-15, ideal to calibrate sorting quality without risk.
Sources and references
- Athlon Sports — PSA Submission Updates, February 18, 2026.
- CGC Comics News — CGC Price Updates 2026, January 8 + March 14, 2026.
- psacard.com — Official tariff grid (verified May 11, 2026).
- cgccards.com — Official tariff grid (verified May 11, 2026).
- Reddit r/PokemonTCG and r/PSA — #NoPSAMay thread (March-May 2026).
- pcagrade.com, cccgrading.com, sfggrading.com, collectaura.com.