The process to officially kick off comic book and magazine grading at PSA may have just started in earnest a few short years ago, but really, this development is decades in the making.
“For 30 years, we've been asking, ‘Should we enter comic grading?’ And we just haven't done it,” said PSA General Manager, Pop Culture Elizabeth Gruene. “I think if we really want to be the leader in authentication and grading, we need to have this category and be a one-stop shop. For one, the market is just huge. This was a big opportunity in terms of a category we weren't playing in at all. It’s kind of shocking, actually.”
And PSA is all about playing, really. It’s about fun. It’s about collecting and connecting—to a moment and to a memento, to a card, and yes, to a comic book and magazine.
Beginning July 14, PSA will accept comic books and magazines for submissions.
There were some hurdles along the way, of course. Conceiving a grading scale that made sense to both the company and to collectors; creating a label that highlights all there is worth highlighting; and then a second label to highlight the best of the best; developing a holder that is best-in-class — durable, secure and crystal-clear — while eventually establishing a Set Registry for collectors to add their most treasured possessions.
“We're trying to really listen to collectors’ feedback—hosting small groups, working with influential people in this space, what would you want from us?” Gruene said. “What are you looking for? How can we be the best grading company we can be? It really started first from the customer and we worked backwards from that. I hope that will be felt and people will see we're genuine and passionate about the collectors and the hobby.”
The appetite from the community is large. Across the board, from vintage collectors to modern hobbyists.
“What we are seeing from our customer base is they've been begging for information,” Gruene said. “They're so excited. These are customers who've only submitted sports cards, or only games or only TCG. We're seeing people excited across the board. This is a broad appeal that is across all collectors. It’s like fertile ground for new people to come in. There is so much of this in distribution—magazines, comics, it’s going to be fascinating to see what people submit.”
Added PSA Sr. Director, Brand & Creative Jack Archer: “We’re bringing PSA’s editorial strength to comics and magazines, helping collectors navigate everything from vintage keys to modern variants. There are so many fascinating variant covers, shop exclusives and beautiful artwork in the modern era especially. Curating guides to help collectors navigate that space is something we’re genuinely excited about."
Gruene sees an opportunity not to just cater to vintage collectors, who’ve long coveted some of the most classic and definitive covers in comic collecting. But with a renewed interest in both modern comics as well as manga and magazines, the potential is massive.
“The vintage Golden Age comics out there waiting to be graded is a really rare opportunity,” Gruene said. “A lot of people might be happy with their collection. I don’t think that’s how we find success. I think it'll be more modern stuff. Thousands of new titles are going to come out every year. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC and the movies and the way these heroes and content is in pop culture, people like to collect modern, too. We're trying to grow the pie, not just trying to take from the current pie. How can we bring more people in rather than just try to compete with current people? We’re coming from a genuine place of building the hobby and supporting that community, not just trying to take things away.
“Eventually, all the infrastructure with our vault, selling options, tech, website—being able to leverage all of that and bring that to the comics and magazine space is exciting. The magazine space in general is something I'm excited about. Jordan's first appearance in Sports Illustrated is the equivalent of Jordan's first rookie card. His first Slam cover. It's something we can really bring out sports expertise to. That’s a huge opportunity, too.”
And, of course, PSA Magazine, as well. Between serial-numbered variations and debut covers on both sides of the aisle — both the Sports and Pop Culture editions of PSA Magazine — opportunities abound.
"Since day one, my goal for PSA Magazine has been to make a magazine about collecting collectible itself,” Archer said. “Our cover art and variant program — including autographed and sequentially numbered editions — have made that vision real. Collectors have embraced it. We want every mail day to feel like opening a pack of cards—and now, with PSA grading layered on top, that excitement only grows. This was never meant to be a disposable publication. It was always designed to be archival—and now we’re giving it the permanence and protection it deserves through authentication, grading and encapsulation."
Inside the Label
One of the most important steps for PSA was nailing the label, an arduous process that put collectors’ concerns at the forefront. Compared to standard PSA card labels, PSA-graded comics and magazine labels feature drastically enhanced titles and, especially, numerical grades.
“We didn’t want to force-fit our card label onto an entirely different category,” Archer said. “This final label was built from the ground up with comics and magazines in mind. We’re thrilled with how the final comic book and magazine label turned out. It’s a departure from our standard design but one that still feels distinctly PSA. We wanted something that stood out without overshadowing the art. This label strikes that balance perfectly.”
Perhaps most exciting of all, the vaunted PSA Gem Mint 10 gets a special label of its own—gold, instead of red. A new gold standard for the hobby.