eBay

allrookies · ‎10-06-2025

I sold a PSA-graded sports card, and it has been at the authenticator for a week. After talking to eBay support for 1 minute, they said the authenticator was backed up for 10 days. It literally takes 5 minutes to authenticate a graded sports card. This seemed like what support probably tells everyone in this situation. In the meantime, they have been holding close to $2,000 for going on 2 weeks now. Is this normal?

1786davycrockett · ‎10-06-2025

@allrookies

"It literally takes 5 minutes to authenticate a graded sports card."

Uh. . .no.

I used to be the manager of a well-known sports-card chain of stores in the Twin Cities back in the 1980s-1990s. If you want a REAL thorough sports-card authentication procedure, you'd better allow more than 5 minutes.

At my store, we'd call in several reliable and respected card dealers (as well as my regular experienced card experts); and, until they ALL agreed to the COMPLETE set of authenticity points on a card (especially a higher-value card, apparently similar to yours), there was no verdict: trading cards are too easy to fake.

There's a lot more involved with authenticating a trading card (or record, or book, or stamp, or. . .anything of potential value) than simply eyeballing the item for 5 minutes.

Authenticity is worth the wait -- don't rush legitimacy!

wastingtime101 · ‎10-07-2025

@allrookies wrote:
I sold a PSA-graded sports card, and it has been at the authenticator for a week. After talking to eBay support for 1 minute, they said the authenticator was backed up for 10 days.

A week ago the authenticator was backed up 3 weeks. They have since cut that in half. If they continue at that pace they may be caught up in a week or so. Give it more time.

GLORIOUS!

Seller Guide: Nonstandard Packaging

klhmdg · ‎10-07-2025

Yes it is pretty normal.

This also appears to be your 1st sale in over 90 days.

Have you read about payment holds for new and infrequent sellers?

klhmdg • Volunteer Community Mentor

allrookies · ‎10-07-2025

There are several authenticators. Which one are you talking about that was backed up that long?

allrookies · ‎10-07-2025

It was already PSA Graded. They just needed to make sure the slab was good and look up the card in the PSA system to make sure everything matched.

1786davycrockett · ‎10-07-2025

@allrookies

"It was already PSA Graded. They just needed to make sure the slab was good and look up the card in the PSA system to make sure everything matched."

While that may be true, it still needs to be re-examined by the eBay authenticators to ensure that it actually is what it claims to be.

The eBay authentication system does not automatically rubber-stamp items, simply because of someone else's claim of authenticity -- the market for fraudulent "collectibles" is hot and heavy, and has become very sophisticated, especially Chinese fakes.

I would be very suspicious of an authentication process which simply eyeballs someone else's PSA Grading and gives it an automatic OK -- it's just not worth losing one's reputation for approving a phony "collectible."

Don't rush the process.

onefootflipper · ‎10-07-2025

@allrookies wrote:
I sold a PSA-graded sports card, and it has been at the authenticator for a week. After talking to eBay support for 1 minute, they said the authenticator was backed up for 10 days. It literally takes 5 minutes to authenticate a graded sports card. This seemed like what support probably tells everyone in this situation. In the meantime, they have been holding close to $2,000 for going on 2 weeks now. Is this normal?

You seem to be operating under the false assumption that they are wasting their time doing some sort of presort to pick out the "easy" stuff first. They certainly are not. I am sure all the incoming packages just get dumped into some sort of rolling bin or cart and the bins or carts get lined up and wait for the authenticators to work through them.

allrookies · ‎10-07-2025

You are also assuming. I would assume the graded ones get separated from the non-graded, which get separated from other submissions, as the authentication process would be a lot different depending on what is getting authenticated.

jmschroeder89 · ‎10-13-2025

PSA, they have a card of mine for a while now. Had reps tell me 24-48 hours, 48 hour maximum, 3-5 days, and 5-7 days, and up to 30 days. So take your pick. The system is ass. Also eBay advertises a 1-2 day turn around time.