UK-based Ace Grading faces major backlash for 140 percent price hike

Ace Grading, a UK-based card grading company with a mixed reputation, has come under fire in the last 24 hours for proposed price changes to its grading services.

These changes will see the prices of cards offered at the lowest tier rise by 50 percent, and cards at some of the highest tiers, such as Luxury, will see a staggering 140 percent increase. S cites increased demand for price increases.

The UK's Ace Grading recently bumped its costs significantly

Credit: Ace Grading

Ace Grading has a very mixed reputation in the UK. Its slab labels are considered some of the best in the grading world, but the inherent price gap between Ace- and PSA-graded cards makes the value proposition far less compelling. The company was also breached in 2024, with more than $330,000 worth of cards stolen. It faced some kickbacks for its handling of the case.

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It is now, however, facing its first major backlash from the grading community, with its new values ​​slammed by members as “greedy”.

The price of grading cards at Ace's basic level has risen from £12 ($16) to £18 ($24) per card, a 50 percent increase. In its luxury tier, it has risen from £50 ($67) to £120 ($161) per card, a whopping 140 percent increase. These prices start on June 1.

Below is a comparison of old vs. new pricing:

Collectors who pay £199 for an Ace Select membership (and commit to submitting 300 cards a month on a consistent basis) will see no increase in their price, with core submissions remaining at £12 and value at £15.

Naturally, these values ​​have not gone down well with the Ace grading community.

“I think the biggest issue for a lot of people is not just the price increase, it's the scale of the increase, the lack of visual benefit attached to it, and the way it's communicated,” said one Discord member. “The value of your slabs does not warrant the new grading values, your slabs are nowhere close to holding the same value as PSA and probably never will, the new values ​​are out of pocket,” added another.

A second comment's question about price differences between PSA and Ace was highlighted by some commenters. An example shared showed two versions of the Mewtwo ex Ascended Heroes SIR card sold on the same day, one graded by Ace and the other by PSA. The Ace 10 sold for £419.80 ($564.35) and the PSA 10 sold for £1024.10 ($1376.73).

These increases have upset not only the customers, but also the partners of Ace Grading. Elite 4 Trading and Grading previously accepted submissions on behalf of Ace Grading, however, it no longer continues to do so.

“Elite 4 Trading and Grading has formally notified Randolph and Ace Grading that we are removing all affiliation with immediate effect,” it said in a post on Instagram. “Due to the public handling of the situation as well as recent decisions, we no longer feel confident recommending or endorsing Ace submissions through our store.”

The Official Response to Ace Grading

Credit: Randolph Pokemon YouTube

Responding to a customer who complained the company was missing the turnaround times shown on its website, Ace Grading's head of marketing said, “That's why they've had to make it less people want to submit. The harsh truth and they know it's not what people want, but it needs to stay open, unfortunately.”

TheGamer also ran into Ace Grading's co-founder and director, Andrew Shane, known as Randolph Online. He told us, “We didn't expect the response to the price refresh to be positive – but we are confident in Ace's judgment and direction. The service and product Ace Grading offers far surpasses anything PSA has to offer. So yes, I think the price increase is justified and still the best option if you want to grade your cards.”

Shane decided to post his response publicly, rather than privately, and it was immediately jumped on by other members of his Discord.

One user asked, “Is £50 to £120 fair in your opinion?” To which Shane replied, “For a 2-day turnaround, yes.” His comments were met with many clown-faced reactions.

Now, Ace isn't the only grading company raising its prices or making grading unattractive. Earlier this month, PSA significantly increased its turnaround time. The problem is, with such drastic price increases by Ace, people may be pushed to PSA, because they know their cards will be worth more in return.

Original release date

October 20, 1996

Count the players

2

Age recommendation

6+

Length per game

variable

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Pokemon