A deadline you can plan around
Standard grading in 14 business days from official check-in. Plan your collection, your next show and your next sale with a clear commitment.
Your cards.
Your deadline.
Your money back if we miss it.
You deserve to know what grading will cost and when your cards will be ready. SIG pairs a guaranteed grading turnaround with authentication, independent human assessments and final quality control.
THE SIG TURNAROUND GUARANTEE14 business days.
14 business days.
Or your money back.
If SIG misses your guaranteed grading deadline, your applicable grading fee is refunded. Your eligible card is still graded and returned.
Your grading price stays fixed
No value-based or grade-based upcharges. A higher grade does not increase your agreed grading fee.
Authentication. Human review. QC.
Physical authenticity and alteration checks, independent condition assessments, senior resolution and a final card-to-label check.
Pre-launch service commitment. Queue admission and carrier transit are separate. Handling, shipping, tax and any selected extras are disclosed before submission. See the guarantee for clock and refund details.
Is your turnaround an estimate
or a guarantee?
Waiting without a firm deadline makes planning harder. Compare the published service windows and what each company says about them.
Reviewed September 8, 2026. This is a dated snapshot, not a live feed. Times, service availability and policies can change. Service names, value limits and inclusions differ. These are grading windows, not shipping-inclusive delivery dates.
| Service | Published window | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| SIG Standard | $50 / card · 14 business days | Guaranteed grading turnaround; applicable grading fee refunded if late. Pre-launch commitment. Service details |
| SIG Express | $125 / card · 5 business days | Guaranteed by the end of business day 5; same grading-fee refund commitment if late. Limited to 200 Express cards per week; Founder capacity is reserved separately. Service details |
| SIG Gold Founders | $75 / card · 2–4 business days | Guaranteed by the end of business day 4. Eligible membership and reserved allowance required. Service details |
| PSA | Regular: 70–80 · Express: 20–30 · Super Express: 10–15 business days | Published estimates, not guaranteed. Clock begins after entry into the grading system. Official source |
| CGC | Standard: 10 · Express: 5 · WalkThrough: 2 working days | Published estimates, not guaranteed. Some advertised tiers are faster than SIG Standard. Official source |
| SGC | See current service-level listing | Terms describe turnaround windows as estimates. Current numeric tiers were not independently confirmed for this comparison. Official source |
| TAG | See current service-level listing; regular tiers paused at review | Published estimates, not guaranteed. Policy excludes refunds solely for missed estimates. Official source |
| Beckett | Standard: 45 · Express: 15 · Priority: 5 business days | Current pricing labels times as estimates. Separate premium-policy language mentions guarantees; confirm the selected service terms. Official source |
Beckett's separate premium turnaround policy contains guarantee language. This comparison does not claim SIG is the only grader ever to offer a guarantee. TAG availability and pricing · SGC current tiers.
If we are late, grading is on us.
What is the deadline?
Standard: 14 business days. Express: 5 business days, guaranteed by the end of day 5, at $125 per card and limited to 200 Express cards per week. Eligible Gold Founders orders: 2–4 business days, with the guarantee deadline at the end of day 4; membership and reserved allowance apply. The service and due date must appear on your accepted order.
When does the clock start and finish?
The grading clock starts at official SIG check-in. Saving cards, joining the Sunday Queue and mailing a package do not start it. Official check-in must be confirmed separately from carrier delivery.
The completion commitment covers grading, encapsulation and final quality control. Carrier transit is separate. Check-in cutoffs, the holiday calendar and dispatch arrangements will be published before paid submissions open.
What happens if SIG misses the deadline?
Your applicable grading fee is refunded, and your eligible card is still graded, encapsulated and returned. The refund does not buy a higher grade. Cards with unresolved authenticity or alteration concerns do not receive a numerical grade simply to meet a deadline.
The refund applies to the grading fee. Handling, shipping, tax treatment and optional services are separately disclosed. Refund processing timing and any narrowly defined exceptions will be published before paid submissions open; this preview does not process payments or refunds.
Can my grade or card value increase the grading fee?
No. SIG does not add a value-based or grade-based upcharge to the agreed grading fee. A higher grade does not trigger a higher grading bill. Any optional service or applicable extra is itemized and agreed before submission.
Does the public queue add waiting time?
The Sunday Queue controls accepted capacity before cards are shipped. Staging a card is not acceptance. Collectors keep their cards until an intake place is confirmed; the 14-business-day grading clock starts at official check-in after acceptance.
Authentication first.
Careful grading throughout.
Physical authentication
Examine identity, printing, stock and dimensions against reference material. Check for counterfeiting, trimming, recolouring and restoration.
Independent human assessments
Record separate condition assessments. A senior grader examines disagreements against the card and the evidence before the final grade is recorded.
Final identity and quality checks
Match the card, grade, label and certification record. Inspect the finished holder before release. Verification records support the physical examination.
Same grading standards for every collector and every service tier. Paying for speed never buys a higher grade.
Explore the complete planned processThe production workflow is being validated in beta. Sample certificates do not represent live authentication. A QR lookup alone does not prove a physical card is genuine.
See the label.
See the detail.
The SIG Gold presentation pairs a red-and-navy label, gold crest and lettering, and a crystal-clear slab on its acrylic stand.
The label, up close.
- Red and navy with gold lettering and crest.
- Prominent player, set, card number and grade.
- Serial number carried on the front label.
- Crystal-clear holder and acrylic display stand.
Design artwork. The displayed grade and serial are illustrative. Live verification remains separate from this preview.
Authentication behind the presentation
| What to compare | SIG planned process | Published competitor practice |
|---|---|---|
| Physical authenticity | Identity, printing, stock, dimensions and alteration checks; unresolved concerns escalated before a numerical grade. | PSA authenticates before grading. CGC's guarantee states inspection by at least two professionals. PSA · CGC |
| Human condition review | Separate initial assessments, senior resolution of disagreements and recorded reasons. | Compare each provider's documented process; review-count or accuracy superiority is not established by this table. |
| Label and holder | Distinctive metallic presentation, prominent card details and a final card-to-label identity check. | PSA publishes LightHouse label features including optical effects, UV patterns and anti-washing ink. PSA security |
| Verification | Planned certification images and notes; exact-card fingerprint planned for eligible 10 and 10 Gold cards. | PSA and CGC offer certificate lookup and images; TAG offers digital grading reports. PSA · CGC · TAG |
Comparison reviewed September 8, 2026. SIG is pre-launch; live authentication and fingerprint matching are not connected in this demonstration. A QR code opens a record and must be checked against the physical card and holder.