FAQ
We NEVER mix up your cards
A common concern to customers is that their cards may get mixed up with somebody else’s, particularly when there are lots of the same card submitted.
Rest assured that particular care is taken to split up submissions with duplicate cards. We ensure there is zero chance of a mix up. We understand how crucial it is that our customers exact cards are returned to them.
FAQ
We NEVER mix up your cards
A common concern to customers is that their cards may get mixed up with somebody else’s, particularly when there are lots of the same card submitted.
Rest assured that particular care is taken to split up submissions with duplicate cards. We ensure there is zero chance of a mix up. We understand how crucial it is that our customers exact cards are returned to them.
What is the process?
- Submit your Collectibles
Choose a Service.
Place your order on our website.
Prepare and Package your collectibles (see grading guide for more info) and ensure your name and order number are placed inside your parcel with your cards.
Ship your collectibles to us: The Sub Center, 132 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JY - Track your order
It can take us a few business days to open your parcel depending on the volume we receive.
Once your parcel arrives, we will update your order on the website to ‘arrived at The Sub Center’.
After the submission cut-off date processing will begin.
Once the processing has finished your submitted card list will appear
We process in order of Express – TCG Bulk, so the faster, more expensive services are shipped first. Be aware that Value and Bulk can take up to 14 business days after cut-off to process and ship due to volume. - We will keep you updated
Your order status will be updated with the latest status.
You will receive a list of your submitted collectibles on your order.
You will receive updates as it moves through the stages of the grading process. - Wait for your collectibles to return
Once we have shipped your collectibles, Royal Mail will text you your tracking information. You should receive your collectibles back shortly after that. - Share your grades with the community
Make sure once you get your collectibles back to show off your grades!
Tag us on our socials with #thesubcenter
What cards/collectibles can be graded?
Under the Grading tab you will find an up-to-date list of what each company will currently accept for grading. However, this list is continuously expanding so if it is not currently listed please reach out to us for confirmation.
If I miss a deadline, what will happen?
Our deadlines are the same each month. If your submission does not arrive with us by a cut-off date, it will be moved into the next months submission. We cannot hold up our processing/shipping as this would not be fair on our other clients whose cards have arrived to us on time. We must be firm on this, however, please note that due to the high volume of cards we receive for PSA ‘TCG Bulk’ and ‘Value’ services we often ship multiple times within a month so your cards will likely go well before the next deadline.
What is the minimum number of cards I can send?
PSA ‘TCG Bulk’ has a minimum order quantity of 10 cards. All our other services have no minimum requirements.
What are the submission deadlines?
The submission deadlines for each of our partners are displayed in a countdown format on our website home page. This shows the time remaining for your cards to arrive with us before the next cut-off date. The dates are as follows:
CGC – 10th of each month
Beckett – 20th of each month
PSA – 30th of each month
WATA – 30th of each month
Please note, due to volume we receive for PSA Value & TCG Bulk services, we often ship multiple times within a month. This means if your cards arrive with us early in the month they could be sent to PSA before our cut-off dates.
Are the estimated turnaround times accurate?
Our estimated turnaround times are updated frequently in accordance with correspondence from PSA, Beckett, CGC and WATA. However, they are subject to change at any time without warning. All estimated turnaround times are estimates only. The estimated turnaround time does not include the processing at The Sub Center and begins when your cards reach our partners for processing.
Can I send in sealed cards?
What are the benefits of grading my cards/collectibles?
There are many benefits to having your collectibles professionally graded with PSA, Beckett, CGC and WATA. These can include:
Established Standards (condition)
Confirmed Authenticity
Security and Protection
Set Registry and Population information.
Increased Value
Do you offer pre-grading?
Unfortunately, we do not offer pre-grading as it is very time consuming and would only offer customers our opinion which would in no way reflect or guarantee the grade they would receive from the professional grading services that our partners offer.
How are my collectibles stored?
All submissions are individually sealed in files and labelled specifically for each customer, so they cannot be mixed up. They are placed in our bank grade safe until the point of processing. We are extremely careful when storing customer submissions. We ensure that each customer file is stood on its own with no other submissions placed on top to prevent any damage.
Can I send a cello pack card for grading?
Yes, PSA offers a Value Pack service which allows your promo card to be graded in the clear packaging from the manufacturer.
Please note that if you send us a cello pack and have ordered a card grading service (TCG Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Regular or Express) we will assume that you want The Sub Center to remove the card from the cello pack and prepare it for card grading. Should this occur, The Sub Center cannot / will not be liable for any difference in value of the item, nor can we replace the item for a sealed version.
Can I submit my collectibles in person?
Yes, you are welcome drop off your submission in person to our office from Monday- Friday between 9am-5pm and on Saturday between 9am-1pm. Our office address is: 132 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JW. Whilst in store our team will be happy to advice you or answer any questions you may have.
Do you offer Crossovers?
Yes, but only for PSA. The service level we use for crossovers is the Value Plus tier. Please ensure when you send your information, you also include a ‘minimum grade’ for the crossover. If you do not supply a minimum grade, we will submit your card with no minimum grade. This means that PSA will award the card the grade they determine the card to be, without securing the current grade. If you do not supply a minimum grade, The Sub Center is not / cannot be held liable for any financial difference should your crossover return at a lower grade.
Can I send in graded cards to be cracked out?
Yes, we will remove your card from the existing holder for £2 per card. This price also includes a new semi-rigid and card sleeve so there is no need to send these in. Please read our Terms & Conditions for full information on removing cards from holders.
Can I send my cards in toploaders?
Yes you can. However, it is a requirement that all cards be submitted in loose clear card sleeves and semi-rigids when they are submitted to our partners. Therefore, when you place your order you will see the question – ‘Do you require Semi-rigids to be added to this order?’ Please check ‘Yes’ and add the quantity of semi-rigids/card sleeves that you need.
We will charge you 45p per semi-rigid. This fee covers the clear loose fit card sleeve, the semi-rigid and the handling fee for swapping out your cards in store.
Sending your cards to us in the correct way will save you money and reduce the handling of your cards in store. We highly recommend subsafe.uk. Plus you can save 10% on all orders with code: THESUBCENTER
Can I track the status of my submission?
Yes! On your account, in ‘my orders’ you have a ‘status’ next to each order which shows the up-to-date information about where your collectibles are in the process. In ‘My account’ you will also find the corresponding stages for each grading company.
Do you clean cards?
We do not clean customers cards. We will submit them on your chose service exactly as they are submitted to us. This is because some chemical processes involved in cleaning cards can be classed as ‘altering’ and cause an item not to be graded.
Are my cards insured?
All collectibles that are submitted with us are insured to a medium market value based on recent sales data at the time of submission and up to the maximum value limit of the chosen service.
Can you hold submissions to combine postage?
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of cards we process, we are unable to store returns. This is why we charge return postage per service level, not per order.
How long does each stage take?
No two submissions are the same, and there are no given times for each stage. In some cases, some items may take longer to research, and some may need a head grader to get involved in making a grade decision. During assembly there could be issues that require a rework on holdering. In Quality Checks, they may find an issue that requires a card to go back to the grading or assembly process.
Please also remember when your submission enters a stage, that does not mean that day they will begin that process, it joins the queue to have this part of the process carried out and if there is a larger queue than normal, this can also result in a “longer than usual” time in this stage. We do often find longer waits can occur in Research and ID as well as Assembly.
Does the service level I use affect the grade I will get?
No, the service level only determines the speed of service. All of our grading partners access your card fairly and without discrimination, regardless of the service level you choose to send your collectible on.
Where do I send my cards?
Once you have placed your order on the website. Send your cards directly to us: The Sub Center Ltd 132 High Street Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JY, United Kingdom
Don’t forget to include your Name and Order number inside your package. Failure to do this may result in a delay in your items being submitted.
Can I send my collectibles to you from outside the UK?
Yes, you can declare your items as “goods being sent for repair” so they are registered on a temporary export license. Please note – You must retain the original tracking number for your records and for us to return your cards to you. You need to set import charges to chargeable to the sender and not the receiver.
What shipping service should I use to send my cards?
We recommend the Royal Mail if you are shipping from inside the United Kingdom. Fedex if you are shipping to us from Europe. However, you can use the provider of your choice.
Please ensure you parcel is sent with tracking and adequate insurance.
Please do not send with UPS as multiple customers have had bad experiences in the past.
When do I pay for my grading?
As an Approved Dealer, we pay all grading fees to our partners up front. As such we take payment for grading services and your return postage at the point of check-out on our website.
When are my graded cards sent back to me?
We aim to package and ship all collectables back to our customers as quickly as possible. Please note that it takes some time to organise individual submissions and carry out the necessary damage checks and label checks. Once they’re ready to ship, we will ship them to the address on your account, so please ensure this is correct and up to date. If it changes after you have submitted an order, please notify us of the new address as we cannot be held liable for shipping to an out of date address. Royal Mail will text you the evening before / the morning of your delivery.
How much is the return postage?
We return all submissions via Royal Mail Special Delivery unless you are an international client. Depending on the number of cards and adequate insurance value, this will range from £9 to £18 based on Royal Mails updated charges effective April 1st 2024.
What are upcharges?
Upcharges are additional charges set by PSA for cards that once graded fall outside the valuation that the tier they were submitted on covered. Note: Upcharges will only be applied to the single card(s) that fall outside of the service cover they were submitted on, not your whole submission. Upcharges are set and decided by PSA and will be charge to you when PSA notify us of these charges. You will be required to settle the balance within 10 days of the request from The Sub Center. For more information on Upcharges click here.
Grading
What is the process?
- Submit your Collectibles
Choose a Service.
Place your order on our website.
Prepare and Package your collectibles (see grading guide for more info) and ensure your name and order number are placed inside your parcel with your cards.
Ship your collectibles to us: The Sub Center, 132 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JY - Track your order
It can take us a few business days to open your parcel depending on the volume we receive.
Once your parcel arrives, we will update your order on the website to ‘arrived at The Sub Center’.
After the submission cut-off date processing will begin.
Once the processing has finished your submitted card list will appear
We process in order of Express – TCG Bulk, so the faster, more expensive services are shipped first. Be aware that Value and Bulk can take up to 14 business days after cut-off to process and ship due to volume. - We will keep you updated
Your order status will be updated with the latest status.
You will receive a list of your submitted collectibles on your order.
You will receive updates as it moves through the stages of the grading process. - Wait for your collectibles to return
Once we have shipped your collectibles, Royal Mail will text you your tracking information. You should receive your collectibles back shortly after that. - Share your grades with the community
Make sure once you get your collectibles back to show off your grades!
Tag us on our socials with #thesubcenter
What cards/collectibles can be graded?
Under the Grading tab you will find an up-to-date list of what each company will currently accept for grading. However, this list is continuously expanding so if it is not currently listed please reach out to us for confirmation.
If I miss a deadline, what will happen?
Our deadlines are the same each month. If your submission does not arrive with us by a cut-off date, it will be moved into the next months submission. We cannot hold up our processing/shipping as this would not be fair on our other clients whose cards have arrived to us on time. We must be firm on this, however, please note that due to the high volume of cards we receive for PSA ‘TCG Bulk’ and ‘Value’ services we often ship multiple times within a month so your cards will likely go well before the next deadline.
What is the minimum number of cards I can send?
PSA ‘TCG Bulk’ has a minimum order quantity of 10 cards. All our other services have no minimum requirements.
What are the submission deadlines?
The submission deadlines for each of our partners are displayed in a countdown format on our website home page. This shows the time remaining for your cards to arrive with us before the next cut-off date. The dates are as follows:
CGC – 10th of each month
Beckett – 20th of each month
PSA – 30th of each month
WATA – 30th of each month
Please note, due to volume we receive for PSA Value & TCG Bulk services, we often ship multiple times within a month. This means if your cards arrive with us early in the month they could be sent to PSA before our cut-off dates.
Are the estimated turnaround times accurate?
Our estimated turnaround times are updated frequently in accordance with correspondence from PSA, Beckett, CGC and WATA. However, they are subject to change at any time without warning. All estimated turnaround times are estimates only. The estimated turnaround time does not include the processing at The Sub Center and begins when your cards reach our partners for processing.
Can I send in sealed cards?
What are the benefits of grading my cards/collectibles?
There are many benefits to having your collectibles professionally graded with PSA, Beckett, CGC and WATA. These can include:
Established Standards (condition)
Confirmed Authenticity
Security and Protection
Set Registry and Population information.
Increased Value
Do you offer pre-grading?
Unfortunately, we do not offer pre-grading as it is very time consuming and would only offer customers our opinion which would in no way reflect or guarantee the grade they would receive from the professional grading services that our partners offer.
How are my collectibles stored?
All submissions are individually sealed in files and labelled specifically for each customer, so they cannot be mixed up. They are placed in our bank grade safe until the point of processing. We are extremely careful when storing customer submissions. We ensure that each customer file is stood on its own with no other submissions placed on top to prevent any damage.
Can I send a cello pack card for grading?
Yes, PSA offers a Value Pack service which allows your promo card to be graded in the clear packaging from the manufacturer.
Please note that if you send us a cello pack and have ordered a card grading service (TCG Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Regular or Express) we will assume that you want The Sub Center to remove the card from the cello pack and prepare it for card grading. Should this occur, The Sub Center cannot / will not be liable for any difference in value of the item, nor can we replace the item for a sealed version.
Can I submit my collectibles in person?
Yes, you are welcome drop off your submission in person to our office from Monday- Friday between 9am-5pm and on Saturday between 9am-1pm. Our office address is: 132 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JW. Whilst in store our team will be happy to advice you or answer any questions you may have.
Do you offer Crossovers?
Yes, but only for PSA. The service level we use for crossovers is the Value Plus tier. Please ensure when you send your information, you also include a ‘minimum grade’ for the crossover. If you do not supply a minimum grade, we will submit your card with no minimum grade. This means that PSA will award the card the grade they determine the card to be, without securing the current grade. If you do not supply a minimum grade, The Sub Center is not / cannot be held liable for any financial difference should your crossover return at a lower grade.
Can I send in graded cards to be cracked out?
Yes, we will remove your card from the existing holder for £2 per card. This price also includes a new semi-rigid and card sleeve so there is no need to send these in. Please read our Terms & Conditions for full information on removing cards from holders.
Can I send my cards in toploaders?
Yes you can. However, it is a requirement that all cards be submitted in loose clear card sleeves and semi-rigids when they are submitted to our partners. Therefore, when you place your order you will see the question – ‘Do you require Semi-rigids to be added to this order?’ Please check ‘Yes’ and add the quantity of semi-rigids/card sleeves that you need.
We will charge you 45p per semi-rigid. This fee covers the clear loose fit card sleeve, the semi-rigid and the handling fee for swapping out your cards in store.
Sending your cards to us in the correct way will save you money and reduce the handling of your cards in store. We highly recommend subsafe.uk. Plus you can save 10% on all orders with code: THESUBCENTER
Can I track the status of my submission?
Yes! On your account, in ‘my orders’ you have a ‘status’ next to each order which shows the up-to-date information about where your collectibles are in the process. In ‘My account’ you will also find the corresponding stages for each grading company.
Do you clean cards?
We do not clean customers cards. We will submit them on your chose service exactly as they are submitted to us. This is because some chemical processes involved in cleaning cards can be classed as ‘altering’ and cause an item not to be graded.
Are my cards insured?
All collectibles that are submitted with us are insured to a medium market value based on recent sales data at the time of submission and up to the maximum value limit of the chosen service.
Can you hold submissions to combine postage?
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of cards we process, we are unable to store returns. This is why we charge return postage per service level, not per order.
How long does each stage take?
No two submissions are the same, and there are no given times for each stage. In some cases, some items may take longer to research, and some may need a head grader to get involved in making a grade decision. During assembly there could be issues that require a rework on holdering. In Quality Checks, they may find an issue that requires a card to go back to the grading or assembly process.
Please also remember when your submission enters a stage, that does not mean that day they will begin that process, it joins the queue to have this part of the process carried out and if there is a larger queue than normal, this can also result in a “longer than usual” time in this stage. We do often find longer waits can occur in Research and ID as well as Assembly.
Does the service level I use affect the grade I will get?
No, the service level only determines the speed of service. All of our grading partners access your card fairly and without discrimination, regardless of the service level you choose to send your collectible on.
Shipping and Payments
Where do I send my cards?
Once you have placed your order on the website. Send your cards directly to us: The Sub Center Ltd 132 High Street Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JY, United Kingdom
Don’t forget to include your Name and Order number inside your package. Failure to do this may result in a delay in your items being submitted.
Can I send my collectibles to you from outside the UK?
Yes, you can declare your items as “goods being sent for repair” so they are registered on a temporary export license. Please note – You must retain the original tracking number for your records and for us to return your cards to you. You need to set import charges to chargeable to the sender and not the receiver.
What shipping service should I use to send my cards?
We recommend the Royal Mail if you are shipping from inside the United Kingdom. Fedex if you are shipping to us from Europe. However, you can use the provider of your choice.
Please ensure you parcel is sent with tracking and adequate insurance.
Please do not send with UPS as multiple customers have had bad experiences in the past.
When do I pay for my grading?
As an Approved Dealer, we pay all grading fees to our partners up front. As such we take payment for grading services and your return postage at the point of check-out on our website.
When are my graded cards sent back to me?
We aim to package and ship all collectables back to our customers as quickly as possible. Please note that it takes some time to organise individual submissions and carry out the necessary damage checks and label checks. Once they’re ready to ship, we will ship them to the address on your account, so please ensure this is correct and up to date. If it changes after you have submitted an order, please notify us of the new address as we cannot be held liable for shipping to an out of date address. Royal Mail will text you the evening before / the morning of your delivery.
How much is the return postage?
We return all submissions via Royal Mail Special Delivery unless you are an international client. Depending on the number of cards and adequate insurance value, this will range from £9 to £18 based on Royal Mails updated charges effective April 1st 2024.
What are upcharges?
Upcharges are additional charges set by PSA for cards that once graded fall outside the valuation that the tier they were submitted on covered. Note: Upcharges will only be applied to the single card(s) that fall outside of the service cover they were submitted on, not your whole submission. Upcharges are set and decided by PSA and will be charge to you when PSA notify us of these charges. You will be required to settle the balance within 10 days of the request from The Sub Center. For more information on Upcharges click here.