Notification of Receipt of Your Items: At CAS, keeping you informed about the status of your order is of paramount importance to us.  Within one or two business days after your items arrive at CAS’s facility, we will send you an email confirming receipt of your package. Once we process your order internally we will send you a second email confirming that your items have been officially checked into our database and into your online account (current processing times for incoming submissions is approximately 6 weeks). Since these emails are system-generated, sometimes they have gone to collectors’ junk mail, so make sure to check your junk mail folder as well if you don’t receive the email in a few days after you sent your items.  You can also add info@collectorarchive.com and itemreceived@collectorarchive.com to your online contacts to make sure the emails don’t go to your junk mail folder.

Turnaround Time / Splitting of Orders

Our grading queue is split into three tiers:

Tier 1 Items - Carded figures (i.e., MOCs; figures still sealed on their factory backing cards), boxed items (i.e., figures, vehicles, playsets, or anything else in a sealed or open rectangle or square box), loose vintage (1977-1985) Star Wars action figures with or without coins, any loose action figures sealed in baggies, single collector coins, action figure mailers / department store packs, proof cards, baseballs, and certain other single, non-complex items as determined in our discretion.

Tier 2 Items - Any loose action figures other than vintage Star Wars (e.g., G.I. Joe loose action figures with or without file cards, Masters of the Universe loose figures, etc.), loose vehicles and other loose toys that we determine, in our discretion, do not constitute Tier 3 “complex" customs (see more on what constitutes "complex" customs in the Tier 3 description below), and certain other custom casing requests we determine, in our discretion, not to be "complex".

Tier 3 Items - These are “complex customs,” which typically involves casing one or more items in the same case that, in our discretion, is “complex” in that it requires substantially more time and design expertise for us to fabricate than is required for Tier 1 or Tier 2 items. There is a “you know it when you see it” element here; these are typically works of art on which CAS has made a name for itself.

Express Service - We offer 48 hour and seven-day express business day turnaround (i.e., not counting weekends and holidays) for an additional charge for carded figures, loose figures, boxed items, and most other Tier 1 items. We also offer 30 calendar day express service for Tier 2 and Tier 3 items for an additional charge to be discussed and approved by CAS in advance. Email us at info@collectorarchive.com for more information.

The turnaround time for (1) Tier 1 Items is approximately 180 to 240 days, (2) Tier 2 Items and (3) Tier 3 items are 240 days plus. The turnaround time for all such queues begins once BOTH of the following occur: (a) we have checked your items into our system as received by us, and (b) you have fully paid your invoice. The turnaround time stops when we email you a shipping invoice for the return of your items. While the anticipated turnaround time on your submissions is not a guarantee, it is a goal we strive to achieve; sometimes the turnaround time is longer and sometimes it is shorter than the estimate, although we strive to complete all orders as soon as we reasonably can. From time to time CAS will update the turnaround time on this page based on the current status of submissions at the CAS facility.

When you are ready to check out at the end of the online submission process, you will be given an option to "consolidate" or "split" your order if it involves items in more than one tier. If you elect to consolidate your order, we will group all of your items from different tiers together and ship them all back at one time. All items in that order will be placed into the longest tier, and you will receive one return shipping and handling invoice when the entire order is complete. If you elect to split your order, we keep all of your items grouped in the different tiers and ship each tier of items back independently. You will receive a return shipping and handling invoice for each tier of items when that part of the order is complete.

Insurance charges are based on your pre-determined valuation of each item submitted, and are charged based on $1 per $100 of coverage. Our insurance covers your item while in the care of CAS from the point of drop-off at a show or arriving via shipping courier at our facility until the item is back in your possession.

Notification that Your Order is Complete / Images Are Available for Viewing: Once your order is complete, you will receive an email notification that high quality images our professional photography department took of your archived and preserved items and images of the grade labels for such items are available for viewing in your online account.  To find them, go to “My Account” and then “My CAS Submissions.” 

Notification of Invoice for Return Shipping: Soon after your order is complete, we will professionally pack your items to safely prepare them for the journey home, and provide you with an invoice for the return shipping costs, which will include a charge for insurance in the amount you selected as part of your initial online submission.  The return insurance amount you select for each item is the exact amount of insurance we will add to your package for each such item when we ship your items back to you.  Please be aware this will be the maximum insurance amount for any claim of damage or loss in transit.  CAS is not responsible for, and does not control, any loss or damage to your items in transit back to you. You may sometimes receive a shipping quote before you receive notice that images of your graded items have been posted to your online account. Images and grades are batch uploaded usually within 24-48 of receiving your shipping notification.  

Notification with Return Shipping Tracking Number: Finally, once you have paid for shipping, and your items have shipped, you will receive an email with tracking information for your return package.