Grading & Submission
Best PSA Submission Supplies
The complete list, in the order you use it — and nothing you do not need.
By Brijon M. · Published October 6, 2026 · Last updated October 6, 2026
Disclosure: Slab & Stack is funded by affiliate commission. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and that never changes which product we put first. How we pick · Full disclosure
The short answer
Five items cover a submission. Buy them in bulk once.
Clear penny sleeves, semi-rigid holders, a centering tool to pre-screen, resealable bags, and the cardboard and banding to immobilize the stack. That is the whole list. A first-timer is better off with an all-in-one kit; a regular submitter is better off buying each item at bulk count.
Submission supplies are a short list that people buy badly — too little of the thing they use most, and too much of the thing they will use twice. This page is the list in the order you actually use it, with the quantities that make sense.
Step one: sleeve, in clear
Every card goes into a clear penny sleeve. PSA's guidance asks for clear and warns that solid or opaque sleeves can cause delays, so this is not a place to use the colored ones you have in a drawer. Buy them by the thousand: they are the cheapest item here and the one you will use most.
Step two: a semi-rigid holder at the right size
Sleeved card into a semi-rigid holder — 3 5/16" by 4 7/8" for standard cards. Not a toploader; the guidance names toploaders among the things not to use. Thick cards go into the thick semi-rigid rather than being forced into the standard one. Our full comparison is on best card savers for PSA.
Step three: pre-screen before you pay
This is the step that saves actual money. Centering is the number one reason cards fail to reach a gem grade, and it is measurable at your own desk in seconds with an acrylic gauge. Pulling two obviously off-center cards out of a twenty-card order pays for the tool immediately. Best card centering tools covers the options.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CG Cardboard Gold Card Saver 1 The semi-rigid at the size PSA's shipping guidance names. This is the one item there is no sensible substitute for. The holder | Standard modern cards going to PSA | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | UP Ultra Pro Platinum Soft Card Sleeves Clear, acid-free and consistently cut. Clear matters: opaque sleeves cause delays at intake. The sleeve | The default penny sleeve | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | L Luxiv Card Grading Centering Tool Kit Centering is the most common reason a card misses a gem grade. An acrylic gauge and a loupe cost a fraction of one submission fee. The pre-screen | Pre-screening centering before you pay a fee | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | D DEDC Card Grading Submission Kit Holders, tabbed sleeves and a shipping box in one order, which removes the classic first-timer failure of discovering a missing supply at the kitchen table. Best for a first submission | A first submission, bought once | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 | B BCW Resealable Team Bags Resealable bags keep lots together and keep dust off holders while the submission is being assembled. The step most people skip | Sealing a sleeved and held card | Check price on Amazon |
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no cost to you. Prices move constantly, so we link to the live listing instead of printing a number that would be wrong next week. How we are funded.
1. The holder
Cardboard Gold Card Saver 1
Cardboard Gold · Standard modern cards going to PSA
The semi-rigid holder PSA's own shipping guide points you toward, at the size its instructions name. If you submit standard-thickness modern cards, this is the default and the decision is made.
Why it takes this slot: The semi-rigid at the size PSA's shipping guidance names. This is the one item there is no sensible substitute for.
- Holder size
- 3 5/16" x 4 7/8"
- Card thickness
- Standard cards up to roughly 20pt
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free rigid vinyl
- Common pack sizes
- 50, 100 and 200 count
What it does well
- Matches the semi-rigid dimensions PSA's shipping guide specifies
- Consistent fit from pack to pack, which matters when you are loading 200 cards
- Thin enough to band and ship in bulk without a bulky box
Where it falls short
- A snug fit — a thick or already-curved card needs care going in
- Priced above generic semi-rigids precisely because it is the submission standard
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
2. The sleeve
Ultra Pro Platinum Soft Card Sleeves
Ultra Pro · The default penny sleeve
Clear, acid-free, consistently cut, and sold everywhere in 100-count packs. It is the sleeve every other sleeve gets compared to, and the one PSA's guidance effectively asks for: clear, not opaque.
Why it takes this slot: Clear, acid-free and consistently cut. Clear matters: opaque sleeves cause delays at intake.
- Size
- Standard 2 5/8" x 3 5/8" trading card
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free polypropylene
- Pack size
- 100 count, sold in multipacks
- Clarity
- Clear — grading-submission appropriate
What it does well
- Clear sleeve, which is what grading submissions require
- Consistent cut, so cards do not catch going in
- Cheap enough to sleeve a whole box without thinking about it
Where it falls short
- Thin by design — a sleeve is not protection on its own
- Static cling makes single-handed loading fiddly
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
3. The pre-screen
Luxiv Card Grading Centering Tool Kit
Luxiv · Pre-screening centering before you pay a fee
An acrylic centering guide plus a 30x magnifier and cloths. Centering is the single most common reason a card misses a 10, and this is the cheapest way to find that out before you pay for grading.
Why it takes this slot: Centering is the most common reason a card misses a gem grade. An acrylic gauge and a loupe cost a fraction of one submission fee.
- Contents
- Acrylic centering guide, 30x magnifier, two microfiber cloths
- Material
- Transparent acrylic
- Works with
- PSA, BGS and CGC centering standards
What it does well
- Catches an off-center card before a submission fee is spent on it
- The magnifier doubles as your surface and edge check
- Costs a fraction of one grading fee
Where it falls short
- Measuring by eye on a gauge is less precise than a scan-based measurement
- Does nothing for surface or edge wear on its own
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
4. Best for a first submission
DEDC Card Grading Submission Kit
DEDC · A first submission, bought once
Semi-rigid holders, tabbed sleeves and a shipping box together in one order. For a first submission it removes the part people get wrong: shopping for five supplies separately and discovering a missing one at the kitchen table.
Why it takes this slot: Holders, tabbed sleeves and a shipping box in one order, which removes the classic first-timer failure of discovering a missing supply at the kitchen table.
- Contents
- 25 semi-rigid card holders, 100 tabbed sleeves, shipping box and protector
- Format
- Complete submission kit
- Best use
- First-time or occasional submissions
What it does well
- Everything the packaging step needs arrives together
- Cheaper than buying five part-packs for one submission
Where it falls short
- Per-unit cost is higher than buying each supply in bulk
- A regular submitter outgrows the kit quickly
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
5. The step most people skip
BCW Resealable Team Bags
BCW · Sealing a sleeved and held card
The cheap step everybody skips. A resealable bag around a sleeved card in a holder keeps dust and humidity off it and keeps lots together in a box.
Why it takes this slot: Resealable bags keep lots together and keep dust off holders while the submission is being assembled.
- Format
- Resealable polypropylene bag
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free
- Pack size
- 100 count
What it does well
- Pennies per card for a real dust and moisture barrier
- Keeps a lot or a team set together without rubber bands
- Resealable, so it survives repeated handling
Where it falls short
- One more thing to open when you want the card
- Does nothing about physical impact
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
Step four: immobilize the stack
PSA's packaging instruction is specific and it is the part that damages cards when ignored. Stack the holders in the exact order of the submission form, item one on top. Sandwich the stack between two pieces of cardboard. Band it with two or three rubber bands — tight enough that nothing shifts, loose enough not to bite into the holders. Then put the banded stack into a sturdy box where it cannot move.
Movement in transit is what causes corner damage, and it is entirely avoidable. The full sequence with the common mistakes is in how to package cards for PSA, and the shipping side in how to ship cards to PSA.
| Supply | Buy | Why that quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Clear penny sleeves | 1,000+ | Used on every card you keep, not just submissions |
| Semi-rigid holders (standard) | 200 | Unit cost falls sharply with count, and they do not expire |
| Semi-rigid holders (thick) | 25 to 50 | You need far fewer than you think |
| Centering gauge | 1 | One tool pays for itself on the first order |
| Resealable bags | 100 | Keeps lots together while you assemble |
Common questions
What supplies do I need to submit cards to PSA?
Do I need a submission kit or should I buy the items separately?
Can I use rubber bands directly on the cards?
Does PSA supply the holders?
Back to Grading & Submission.
Sources
About the author
Brijon M. is the hands-on owner behind MadGrey LLC and the person who writes and maintains every page on Slab & Stack. He buys supplies in bulk, submits cards for grading, and keeps this site's recommendations tied to what a working collection actually needs.
Brijon M. · Owner, MadGrey LLC · Read the full bio
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