TAG Grading opened a new Value tier on October 20, 2026, at $29.95 per card with a 10-card minimum, according to the company's backlog tracker update. TAG says it has cleared about 99% of the backlog that built up this year, but will cap or pause the tier if submissions outrun capacity.
TAG Grading Value tier: key facts
- Opened: October 20, 2026
- Price: $29.95 per card
- Minimum: 10 cards per submission
- Estimated turnaround: 90 business days
- Protection: up to $250 per card
- What you get: a grade only; TAG's 1,000-point Score starts at the Standard tier
- Availability: limited; TAG says the tier may be paused or limited again if demand outpaces capacity
Where Value sits in TAG's price list
Value is now the cheapest way into a TAG slab. Here is the full list as shown on TAG's pricing page on October 29, 2026:
Tier | Price per card | Minimum | Estimate | Protection per card | Includes Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Value | $29.95 | 10 cards | 90 business days | $250 | No |
Base | $39.95 | 5 cards | 60 business days | $500 | No |
Standard | $59.95 | — | 45 business days | $1,000 | Yes |
Priority | $79.95 | — | 30 business days | $1,500 | Yes |
Express | $149.95 | — | 10 business days | $2,500 | Yes |
Premier | $299.95 | — | 3–5 business days | $5,000 | Yes |
TAG says turnaround times are estimates counted from intake, not promises. Its price doesn't change with a card's value; each tier instead includes protection up to the amount shown.
How TAG got here
TAG paused its Basic and Standard submissions on May 1 and Express on May 28, when demand ran far ahead of its capacity. On its tracker, the company says its active backlog peaked at about 420% of its monthly processing capacity at the time. From August 27 it reopened with small, queue-based "drops," then opened more lower-priced tiers on September 30, when it reported the backlog 96% cleared. The October 20 update put recovery at about 99% and added Value.
TAG is unusually direct about the limits. It says it will not knowingly take in more cards than it can process within its published turnaround times, and that Value stays open only as capacity allows.
What it means for collectors
At $29.95, TAG Value is cheaper per card than PSA's reopened Value tier at $39.99, but the 10-card minimum means at least $299.50 in grading fees before shipping. That suits a collector with a batch of cards they want slabbed for a binder or shelf, less so someone with one or two cards.
Two things to weigh: the Value and Base tiers don't include TAG's Score, and the $250 protection cap is lower than most other tiers. If you're unsure whether a card is a strong grading candidate, our pre-grading guide helps you sort them first, and our PSA vs CGC vs TAG vs BGS comparison covers how the four graders differ beyond price.
What's next
- Availability can change quickly. TAG says Value may be paused or limited if demand spikes, so check the pricing page on the day you submit.
- More updates: TAG posts progress on its backlog tracker page.
Alec Nguyen
Founder, CollectorDream
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