This is one of the most thoughtful comparisons between grading companies that I’ve seen. Many people miss some of the nuances that you mentioned (I.e what is your reason for grading, turnaround time and profit associated with that, etc). Great stuff!
For your “New Collector” series I’d love to see you send a few of the same card to each of the grading companies and compare the times and actual sales you get. PSA, SGC, TAG, Beckett
That’s definitely something I can look at trying! I don’t think it’d be a part of the new collector challenge as I wouldn’t really advise you do that 😂 BUT it’s a good test for someone to do and see what the results are so it can for sure be a stand alone idea to provide info!
@ that’s fair, I was thinking more about the quick flip/profit margins for those who don’t have Collector’s Club but wanted to have a few graded cards to sell.
I’d like to see some analysis on SGC v PSA when it comes to vintage v modern/ultra-modern cards for grading. Who is a little more stingy on the grading, how does it affect pricing (is it dramatic?), etc. I feel like I hear this question all the time, but most of the answers are anecdotal. Great video!
Yes! Vintage is definitely not the same here, if anything sometimes SGC carries a premium in vintage compared to modern. I personally don't do a ton with vintage so its not an area of expertise generally for me
More great info, and explaining the difference between the relative values and turn around time was great. I agree 100% as far as PC cards - as I often say "rip em, flip em ... collect what you love!"
Collect what you like and you're never going to lose! If you're going pure value both companies can be valid options just depends on what level you're playing at valuation wise!
I've been watching your videos since recently and I've found them very informative, thank you for that. I used to collect a few decades (yes, decades) ago and I've bought some hobby boxes to get back to collecting. But, everything's changed since then and I don't know where to look for cards values, could you please tell me a little bit about that? Thanks again, keep it up 👍
Absolutely! I can make a full video on this but in general your go to is online comps vs. your handy dandy Beckett price guide. You'll want to look at eBay sold listings to see what a card has recently sold for. A website called 130 point also it helpful to see what a card actually sells for, as sometimes there is an offer accepted where eBay for some reason doesn't show the actual sale price
Another great video. Now that we know what grading company to use how about a how to video on the right way to list it on Ebay and a walkthrough video on that subject. including shipping.
I am so glad that I found you on UA-cam. Loving the videos. What market type app do you like the most? ALT, Market Movers, Card Ladder, or any others? What do you find to be the most accurate and the best overall? Thanks again.
I personally use Card Ladder and Alt a lot. Card Ladder being paid is tough, 130 point is a good alternative that’s free it’s just not as powerful from a data perspective. Thanks for checking out the videos got a lot of fun stuff planned and of course more educational content!
Thanks, I really enjoy your videos. I'm not a fan of how chunky SGC slabs are, the raised edges and squared corners make them look and feel really bulky to me. I like sgc but I feel aesthetically PSA is a much nicer slab and feels awesome in hand. I actually think that CGC has the nicest looking slab right now their pristine label is fantastic looking. Thanks again for the content.
I agree with you on the SGC size. If they were the same size as PSA I’d be all about them. I love the CGC plastic in just not a fan of their label personally
Great breakdown. One thing I want to add and one of my pet peeves with PSA is with the Bulk subs is that you can't mix vintage and modern to reach the 20 card minimum. It's either pre 1980 or post 1980. Sometimes I might have 3 or 4 vintage I want to grade but can't add them to my bulk sub with the modern so most of the time my vintage goes to SGC which is fine cause the values are close but would be nice to mix eras for a bulk PSA sub.
Yes!! That’s a great call out. I believe their reasoning is that it’s different grading standards/checks for authenticity but it does bug me that if I have an older card I can’t just include it in the same sub. I feel the same way that it has to be a whole separate sub if I wanted to get an auto graded
What about crossover? You could use SGC as your safety net like you said, if something gets a 9 it comes back quick and you’re out of it, but if gets a 10 and you want to maximize profit then you could submit to PSA crossover. Essentially using SGC as a gem pre-screen
Another great video. Its obvious that you send a ton of time producing these videos. Really looking to see how fast you are able to build up your following. Are you going to have a both at the Nation in Chicago?
Thank you!! It takes time but is really fun so it's absolutely worth it! I've been making daily content on TIkTok for years, and have always leaned longer form content so making the push to grow some community here! And yes I will be at the National this year!
This is a great question. Should it? Yes. Will it? I doubt it at least in the short/medium term. Right now there's the challenge of the cyclical logic that PSA gets you more for your cards, so people send their cards to PSA, which makes PSA the top dog, which means they get more comps wise, etc. etc. Until the market shifts value wise PSA will remain on top, and the market vs. what logically makes sense doesn't always match up
What about Card Ladder value of joining PSA? Shouldn’t that be taken into consideration? Also, I collect but I’m not sure if I’m going to sell, maybe trade up or sell small cards to get into a bigger one wouldn’t that suggest I should use PSA to maximize value?
@@CleverCubanCards Thank you! I'm new to this space and in terms of grading I'm trying to get a better sense of companies like Arena and TAG, which seem to be more "modern" with some of their offerings/approaches and their competitive advantages in the market in general. Thanks again for the insightful content. It has helped me in my noobie journey.
I grade with Arena Club frequently since I do some branded content with them. Like their slab and labels, don't like their resale value. Same can be said with TAG + Their tech is amazing but again resale value needs to improve
Just getting into the hobby and got a lot of old cards from my dad. Do companies grade a card from the 80s the same way they do a new card? Or do they factor in some age?
This is a great question with two answers, The official answer is they are graded the same. There isn't really a vintage grading scale vs. a modern grading scale. However, I don't find that's true in practice imo. I feel like older cards are put under significantly more scrutiny than modern
Yes! Auto grade is always included with SGC. They don't authenticate in person autos but if the card comes out of the pack with an auto they will grade it for free, or better yet give it an auto grade 10 if it will 10 and if its a 9 or lower they just won't give it an auto grade which is nice as that normally hurts the cards value vs. help
As I mentioned you can access the cheaper pricing normally through group submitters or a LCS! The brand new collector may not do the membership but once you start grading more consistently it’s totally worth it imo
@@CleverCubanCards yes but SGC doesn't require its customers to pay for an additional membership. So if you are doing a cost comparison you have to do a fair comparison. $25 vs $15. PSA is only worth grading if you have a very valuable ultra modern card and then you have to deal with their dirty business practice of being upcharged
@@RipCityCards-t8h do you have data points on that? To be considered an SGC 10 Gem Mint you would need the following: “DESCRIPTION 55/45 or better centering, sharp focus, four sharp corners*, free of stains, no breaks in surface gloss, no print or refractor lines, and no visible wear. A slight print spot visible under close scrutiny is allowable if it does not detract from the aesthetics of the card.” PSA standard basically this as well. They just don’t give out 10’s. I’m primarily PSA but I still use SGC for certain cards. They’ve earned more respect than that.
For pure eye appeal, SGC is a better slab. Vintage looks WAY better in SGC. SGC is faster for basic services. If it’s for my PC, SGC is the only company I use.
In my experience an SGC 9 and a PSA 9 sell pretty similarly so unless you are grading super high end cards or your card is absolutely flawless SGC is the way to go for most collectors. One thing I am curious about is crossing over with higher end cards. If you send in an expensive card to SGC and it comes back a 9 then you can sell it much faster in that sgc slab. But if it comes back a 10 it would likely be worth crossing over to PSA. Now that PSA owns SGC I wonder if they have the same grading standards.
Crossing over higher end cards is a great call out. I know a lot of people that will intentionally buy SGC 9.5/10s with the intention of cracking and grading with PSA. It doesn't seem like they will be aligning grading standards because ultimately they both are just owned by the same company, I think the goal of collectors is to have different offerings for different customers, just like how some of the huge companies like Mars, P&G, PepsiCo etc. own so many different brands, they'd rather "compete" with themselves because then they win no matter what. I think they like that there are differences between SGC and PSA
I have never sent any cards to be graded in the 40+ years I have collected. I have bought graded cards, when there is a real bargain on the card and I want it in my PC. I like the look of an SGC "Tuxedo" slab over the PSA slab. I see too many issues with PSA grading. I see a lot of people "crack slabs" to resubmit them and it tends to be PSA more often than any other brand, and it almost always gets a different grade the second time around. So, there is no actual standard that they adhere to fir grading. It varies by the actual grader. PSA "taking a piece of the pie," by charging more for a "more valuable card" is ridiculous when they don't refund money when that card drops like a rock for a bad season or off field shenanigans. Their prices have increased and wait times have increased making for a bad business model. They act as if they make all of the decisions in the hobby as to what is acceptable and good. They bought out their closest competitor, because it is all about control and cash to them. They have been fooled so many times, it makes you wonder if they hired children or use a "spinning wheel" to determine grades. Also, Grader Notes: If you are a professional and you graded the card, you should give me the "notes" of how you determined the grade that everyone in the world can see, not just the original owner of the card. If it is on eBay, I should be able to look up the notes on the grades. They are charging more, making you wait or pay even more to wait less and aren't consistent on their grading... how are they better? Once people wake up to the horrible company PSA has become, SGC will be seen as more favorable or better and selling values will be closer to PSA's. As long as the company who is destroying PSA doesn't do the same to SGC.
I really like the look of the tuxedo, but I prefer the size of the PSA slab so both have pros and cons in my mind. Ultimately when I'm buying for the PC I buy the card, not the grade. The subjectivity of grading is always difficult to balance. In all reality, a company that uses AI to grade vs. humans SHOULD be better and valued more, but the market doesnt feel that way. End of the day if you're grading to sell the market matters the most like it or not. Also totally agree that the graders notes should be standard. I don't like that they gatekeep this to the higher tiers, I think its because it avoids accountability for the bulk of their orders.
I think the price gap from PSA to SGC will slowly diminish as time goes on…. I also feel CSG has the clearest and well made slab… With strict and consistent grading…. I buy a lot of nice CSG 10s at an even bigger discount …
I don’t think one is more or less lenient they do have different grading standards so SGC it’s little easier to get away with a small surface flaw whereas PSA it’s a little easier to get away with worse centering
This market value issue is partly why it sucks to be a buyer/seller in Canada right now. Between duties and shipping costs, it's just bad all-around unless you go with a group submission through a hobby shop to, most likely, PSA. There are a couple Canadian companies right now, but they're far too new to have any market value. Before I learned all this, I sent off a big order to SGC (and I still prefer SGC to PSA regardless, partly because the slab is nicer, partly because of the 9.5 safety net). Sadly when analyzing the cost and the value, you end up basically breaking even on most slabs.
Grading internationally is definitely a large challenge. PSA has been opening offices internationally because of this, I saw they are opening a submission center in Canada in 2025 which could help!!
Which hey, grading isn’t for everyone. Buy the card not the grade. But the market for values them more than a raw copy, sometimes significantly, which creates an opportunity to profit so it can’t be ignored whether you like it or not
what about the length of time it take s an SGC 10 to sell VS a PSA 10? There clearly has to be not only less population on the Joe burrow Optic SCG 10 for example, but also less BUYERS for that card. How many buyers pass over the SGC 10 waiting for a PSA 10 to come up or auction on end? This aspect gets ignore A LOT! I just charted the 2 cards on Market Movers and the Burrow Optic PSA is a pop 1,765 and has 38 SALES in the past 30 days meanwhile the SGC 10 has only 3 sales in the past 30 days. There are just not as many buyers for that card, so you could theorize while Im waiting and extra month to get my back from PSA you still havent sold your SGC 10 unless you auction it off. Take the demand for SGC cards seriously when making these comparisons, they have lower POPS and still are not nearly as in demand as a PSA card of equal grade. The comparison is clear.
Hmm… As of last February they were acquired by the same parent company that owns PSA, so this may not be relevant for long. I wouldn’t be surprised if they dissolved the brand entirely. Collectors Universe now owns 78% of the market share and with the recent drama over at Beckett, they might be positioned to scoop up even more. Classic runaway monopoly. I’d suggest doing a review against TAG, AGS, possibly Arsales (ARS) if they’re open to the North American markets.
I actually disagree with the sentiment that both companies won't stay relevant for a long time. Them being owned by the same company is because Collectors Universe wants to capture more market share, which they've done. It's like how Pepsi also makes Diet Pepsi, they recognize there is a customer for Pepsi and a customer for Diet Pepsi. Similarly I think Collectors knows there is a market for PSA and a market for those who prefer SGC. I think merging the two would lead to a loss in market share, it's in their best interest to keep them differentiated enough that they are competing with themselves vs. an external company. I love the Tech of TAG, AGS, Arena etc. it's what grading should be like. But the question is does the market adjust to value that? On one hand, it's the whole point of grading, at the same time, people generally grade cards to add value and would you rather an accurate TAG 9 or a PSA 10? People who are paying to grade want the 10 and I think the scrutiny AI puts cards under may lead to difficulties, similar to how the BGS 9.5 has lost value because people want a 10.
@@CleverCubanCards I can definitely agree with that. In an ideal world, we wouldn't have to choose between the accuracy of the grade and its value, but PSA has built a system where it essentially controls market value. Their daily volume incentivizes them to move as quickly through submissions as possible and having a pricing model based on perceived/declared value incentivizes them to issue higher grades. Obviously, most collectors aren't going to complain if they receive a higher score, but not everyone is a reseller. There are those who grade or buy graded simply for the 3rd party authentication. Others may grade just for the added protection of a slab. Granted, these are smaller sub-segments of the market - nothing that would threaten much market share, but I think these are the areas where a smaller grading company could establish the groundwork. Fraud prevention technology, historic transactional data, higher quality casing / UV protection, etc. More efficient processes, lead to faster turnaround times and cheaper prices. Those are also barriers of entry for a lot of users. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly where I was going with all of that. I think my point is that we need more options to keep things moving forward. There's plenty of areas in the space that could use improvement. Companies needs to challenge these areas and the market (at the very least) should try and be open-minded about others in the space. Nobody can build brand dominance overnight.
That's funny because I feel the exact opposite. SGC has been way more consistent for me grading wise. Sure I get the occasional 8 but generally if it's a clean card it grades fairly well. PSA on the other hand ive seen significantly more inconsistencies with
I keep hearing about this incredible ROI for PSA slabs compared to SGC, but I have several PSA 10s on my eBay store collecting dust that nobody wants to buy. Lot of money tied up in cards that don't move the needle.
This is one of the most thoughtful comparisons between grading companies that I’ve seen. Many people miss some of the nuances that you mentioned (I.e what is your reason for grading, turnaround time and profit associated with that, etc). Great stuff!
Thank you I’m glad you found it helpful! Going to continue to have content like this!
For your “New Collector” series I’d love to see you send a few of the same card to each of the grading companies and compare the times and actual sales you get.
PSA, SGC, TAG, Beckett
That’s definitely something I can look at trying! I don’t think it’d be a part of the new collector challenge as I wouldn’t really advise you do that 😂 BUT it’s a good test for someone to do and see what the results are so it can for sure be a stand alone idea to provide info!
@ that’s fair, I was thinking more about the quick flip/profit margins for those who don’t have Collector’s Club but wanted to have a few graded cards to sell.
I’d like to see some analysis on SGC v PSA when it comes to vintage v modern/ultra-modern cards for grading. Who is a little more stingy on the grading, how does it affect pricing (is it dramatic?), etc.
I feel like I hear this question all the time, but most of the answers are anecdotal. Great video!
Yes! Vintage is definitely not the same here, if anything sometimes SGC carries a premium in vintage compared to modern. I personally don't do a ton with vintage so its not an area of expertise generally for me
SGC is more stingy
Love the videos! I'm new to the hobby and I love everything about it. I've found all your videos helpful so thank you for the content!
Thanks so much! Going to try and keep it coming let me know if there's anything you'd like me to touch on!
More great info, and explaining the difference between the relative values and turn around time was great. I agree 100% as far as PC cards - as I often say "rip em, flip em ... collect what you love!"
Collect what you like and you're never going to lose! If you're going pure value both companies can be valid options just depends on what level you're playing at valuation wise!
You live up to the moniker “clever” once again! Extremely insightful and well explained video, thank you sir!
Thanks for checking it out! Glad I can put my background in education and love for shiny cardboard to good use!
Thanks for the very well thought out explanation! You have great content!
Thank you!!
I've been watching your videos since recently and I've found them very informative, thank you for that. I used to collect a few decades (yes, decades) ago and I've bought some hobby boxes to get back to collecting. But, everything's changed since then and I don't know where to look for cards values, could you please tell me a little bit about that? Thanks again, keep it up 👍
Absolutely! I can make a full video on this but in general your go to is online comps vs. your handy dandy Beckett price guide. You'll want to look at eBay sold listings to see what a card has recently sold for. A website called 130 point also it helpful to see what a card actually sells for, as sometimes there is an offer accepted where eBay for some reason doesn't show the actual sale price
Another great video. Now that we know what grading company to use how about a how to video on the right way to list it on Ebay and a walkthrough video on that subject. including shipping.
Adding that to my list!! That can be a part of a future New Collector Challenge video, it's a good topic to touch on!
I am so glad that I found you on UA-cam. Loving the videos. What market type app do you like the most? ALT, Market Movers, Card Ladder, or any others? What do you find to be the most accurate and the best overall? Thanks again.
I personally use Card Ladder and Alt a lot. Card Ladder being paid is tough, 130 point is a good alternative that’s free it’s just not as powerful from a data perspective. Thanks for checking out the videos got a lot of fun stuff planned and of course more educational content!
@@CleverCubanCards Thanks a million brother.
Exact same conclusion for me. Have only started using SGC more in 2024.
Same I didn't really use them pre 2024 but have been a big fan from what I've done thusfar
Thanks, I really enjoy your videos. I'm not a fan of how chunky SGC slabs are, the raised edges and squared corners make them look and feel really bulky to me. I like sgc but I feel aesthetically PSA is a much nicer slab and feels awesome in hand. I actually think that CGC has the nicest looking slab right now their pristine label is fantastic looking. Thanks again for the content.
I agree with you on the SGC size. If they were the same size as PSA I’d be all about them. I love the CGC plastic in just not a fan of their label personally
Love your videos man! Keep it up.
Thanks!! I absolutely plan to got a lot of fun stuff planned
@ I used to see your stuff on Tik Tok all the time and then stumbled across your SGC grade reveal videos here on YT.
Great breakdown. One thing I want to add and one of my pet peeves with PSA is with the Bulk subs is that you can't mix vintage and modern to reach the 20 card minimum. It's either pre 1980 or post 1980. Sometimes I might have 3 or 4 vintage I want to grade but can't add them to my bulk sub with the modern so most of the time my vintage goes to SGC which is fine cause the values are close but would be nice to mix eras for a bulk PSA sub.
Yes!! That’s a great call out. I believe their reasoning is that it’s different grading standards/checks for authenticity but it does bug me that if I have an older card I can’t just include it in the same sub. I feel the same way that it has to be a whole separate sub if I wanted to get an auto graded
What about crossover? You could use SGC as your safety net like you said, if something gets a 9 it comes back quick and you’re out of it, but if gets a 10 and you want to maximize profit then you could submit to PSA crossover. Essentially using SGC as a gem pre-screen
great ready yet again! one question for you is for sgc what would you consider a good price range for low-mid end cards ?
Generally under $150ish would be my target but that’s not a hard and fast rule just a rough starting point
Another great video. Its obvious that you send a ton of time producing these videos. Really looking to see how fast you are able to build up your following. Are you going to have a both at the Nation in Chicago?
Thank you!! It takes time but is really fun so it's absolutely worth it! I've been making daily content on TIkTok for years, and have always leaned longer form content so making the push to grow some community here! And yes I will be at the National this year!
Great video! Do you think the market will shift to grading card companies that utilize AI for grade consistency anytime soon?
This is a great question. Should it? Yes. Will it? I doubt it at least in the short/medium term. Right now there's the challenge of the cyclical logic that PSA gets you more for your cards, so people send their cards to PSA, which makes PSA the top dog, which means they get more comps wise, etc. etc. Until the market shifts value wise PSA will remain on top, and the market vs. what logically makes sense doesn't always match up
What about Card Ladder value of joining PSA? Shouldn’t that be taken into consideration? Also, I collect but I’m not sure if I’m going to sell, maybe trade up or sell small cards to get into a bigger one wouldn’t that suggest I should use PSA to maximize value?
Really nice job, man 👍 love your videos
Thanks! If you want to see any specific topics in the future let me know!
@@CleverCubanCards Thank you! I'm new to this space and in terms of grading I'm trying to get a better sense of companies like Arena and TAG, which seem to be more "modern" with some of their offerings/approaches and their competitive advantages in the market in general. Thanks again for the insightful content. It has helped me in my noobie journey.
Are the slabs from PSA and SGC the same size?
Great content as always
Thank you!! If there's any topics you'd like to see me talk on in the future let me know!
Any thoughts on TAG or Arena Club? I've never submitted, but the slabs look nice and the grading transparency I think should be valued more.
I grade with Arena Club frequently since I do some branded content with them. Like their slab and labels, don't like their resale value. Same can be said with TAG + Their tech is amazing but again resale value needs to improve
Just getting into the hobby and got a lot of old cards from my dad. Do companies grade a card from the 80s the same way they do a new card? Or do they factor in some age?
This is a great question with two answers, The official answer is they are graded the same. There isn't really a vintage grading scale vs. a modern grading scale. However, I don't find that's true in practice imo. I feel like older cards are put under significantly more scrutiny than modern
I think it’s important to add shipping in. Shipping with psa seems to be more expensive than sgc.
That’s a great call out! Hadn’t thought about that
Does SGC always grade the autos for the $15 submission, or do they upcharge for the auto grade like PSA? Great video, keep up the good work.
Yes! Auto grade is always included with SGC. They don't authenticate in person autos but if the card comes out of the pack with an auto they will grade it for free, or better yet give it an auto grade 10 if it will 10 and if its a 9 or lower they just won't give it an auto grade which is nice as that normally hurts the cards value vs. help
I personally keep it close to home and I really like the Black and White of SGC
I love the tuxedo look totally agree
What do you think on the grading companies outside of the “big 3” that have some promise like cgc, tag, hga?
I like TAG their tech is really promising. CGC is doing great Pokemon wise they just don’t have the market share for sports
Bro for the majority of us a fair cost comparison would be PSA cost $25 to grade and SGC cost $15.
As I mentioned you can access the cheaper pricing normally through group submitters or a LCS! The brand new collector may not do the membership but once you start grading more consistently it’s totally worth it imo
@@CleverCubanCards yes but SGC doesn't require its customers to pay for an additional membership. So if you are doing a cost comparison you have to do a fair comparison. $25 vs $15. PSA is only worth grading if you have a very valuable ultra modern card and then you have to deal with their dirty business practice of being upcharged
SGC hands out 10s easier too imo.
@@RipCityCards-t8h do you have data points on that? To be considered an SGC 10 Gem Mint you would need the following:
“DESCRIPTION
55/45 or better centering, sharp focus, four sharp corners*, free of stains, no breaks in surface gloss, no print or refractor lines, and no visible wear. A slight print spot visible under close scrutiny is allowable if it does not detract from the aesthetics of the card.” PSA standard basically this as well.
They just don’t give out 10’s. I’m primarily PSA but I still use SGC for certain cards.
They’ve earned more respect than that.
For pure eye appeal, SGC is a better slab. Vintage looks WAY better in SGC. SGC is faster for basic services. If it’s for my PC, SGC is the only company I use.
and they make just about every card look better
Another great video.😎
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
One great missed point with PSA is ...if you are grading ultra modern...anything less then a grade of 10 will resell for the same as if it were raw
That is a grading point in general though SGC CGC PSA etc 9 = raw now
@ agree but you are not losing as much money with a SGC 9 plus they have the 9.5 which is accepted in the hobby
In my experience an SGC 9 and a PSA 9 sell pretty similarly so unless you are grading super high end cards or your card is absolutely flawless SGC is the way to go for most collectors. One thing I am curious about is crossing over with higher end cards. If you send in an expensive card to SGC and it comes back a 9 then you can sell it much faster in that sgc slab. But if it comes back a 10 it would likely be worth crossing over to PSA. Now that PSA owns SGC I wonder if they have the same grading standards.
Crossing over higher end cards is a great call out. I know a lot of people that will intentionally buy SGC 9.5/10s with the intention of cracking and grading with PSA. It doesn't seem like they will be aligning grading standards because ultimately they both are just owned by the same company, I think the goal of collectors is to have different offerings for different customers, just like how some of the huge companies like Mars, P&G, PepsiCo etc. own so many different brands, they'd rather "compete" with themselves because then they win no matter what. I think they like that there are differences between SGC and PSA
@ that’s a good point
I have never sent any cards to be graded in the 40+ years I have collected. I have bought graded cards, when there is a real bargain on the card and I want it in my PC. I like the look of an SGC "Tuxedo" slab over the PSA slab. I see too many issues with PSA grading. I see a lot of people "crack slabs" to resubmit them and it tends to be PSA more often than any other brand, and it almost always gets a different grade the second time around. So, there is no actual standard that they adhere to fir grading. It varies by the actual grader. PSA "taking a piece of the pie," by charging more for a "more valuable card" is ridiculous when they don't refund money when that card drops like a rock for a bad season or off field shenanigans. Their prices have increased and wait times have increased making for a bad business model. They act as if they make all of the decisions in the hobby as to what is acceptable and good. They bought out their closest competitor, because it is all about control and cash to them. They have been fooled so many times, it makes you wonder if they hired children or use a "spinning wheel" to determine grades. Also, Grader Notes: If you are a professional and you graded the card, you should give me the "notes" of how you determined the grade that everyone in the world can see, not just the original owner of the card. If it is on eBay, I should be able to look up the notes on the grades. They are charging more, making you wait or pay even more to wait less and aren't consistent on their grading... how are they better? Once people wake up to the horrible company PSA has become, SGC will be seen as more favorable or better and selling values will be closer to PSA's. As long as the company who is destroying PSA doesn't do the same to SGC.
I really like the look of the tuxedo, but I prefer the size of the PSA slab so both have pros and cons in my mind. Ultimately when I'm buying for the PC I buy the card, not the grade. The subjectivity of grading is always difficult to balance. In all reality, a company that uses AI to grade vs. humans SHOULD be better and valued more, but the market doesnt feel that way. End of the day if you're grading to sell the market matters the most like it or not.
Also totally agree that the graders notes should be standard. I don't like that they gatekeep this to the higher tiers, I think its because it avoids accountability for the bulk of their orders.
I think the price gap from PSA to SGC will slowly diminish as time goes on….
I also feel CSG has the clearest and well made slab… With strict and consistent grading…. I buy a lot of nice CSG 10s at an even bigger discount …
Like buying the card not the grade! I agree about their slab being great looking, I am not a fan of their label however. Find it too big and bulky
Is SGC more lenient on grading? If not why wouldn’t people just buy the SGC Merril, crack it. Then send it to PSA and print money?
I don’t think one is more or less lenient they do have different grading standards so SGC it’s little easier to get away with a small surface flaw whereas PSA it’s a little easier to get away with worse centering
@@CleverCubanCardsSGC grades easier for sure. Now they have tightened up their grading in the past 6 months
This market value issue is partly why it sucks to be a buyer/seller in Canada right now. Between duties and shipping costs, it's just bad all-around unless you go with a group submission through a hobby shop to, most likely, PSA. There are a couple Canadian companies right now, but they're far too new to have any market value. Before I learned all this, I sent off a big order to SGC (and I still prefer SGC to PSA regardless, partly because the slab is nicer, partly because of the 9.5 safety net). Sadly when analyzing the cost and the value, you end up basically breaking even on most slabs.
Grading internationally is definitely a large challenge. PSA has been opening offices internationally because of this, I saw they are opening a submission center in Canada in 2025 which could help!!
They all suck, there all a Ripoff, there all a joke,
Which hey, grading isn’t for everyone. Buy the card not the grade. But the market for values them more than a raw copy, sometimes significantly, which creates an opportunity to profit so it can’t be ignored whether you like it or not
what about the length of time it take s an SGC 10 to sell VS a PSA 10? There clearly has to be not only less population on the Joe burrow Optic SCG 10 for example, but also less BUYERS for that card. How many buyers pass over the SGC 10 waiting for a PSA 10 to come up or auction on end? This aspect gets ignore A LOT! I just charted the 2 cards on Market Movers and the Burrow Optic PSA is a pop 1,765 and has 38 SALES in the past 30 days meanwhile the SGC 10 has only 3 sales in the past 30 days. There are just not as many buyers for that card, so you could theorize while Im waiting and extra month to get my back from PSA you still havent sold your SGC 10 unless you auction it off. Take the demand for SGC cards seriously when making these comparisons, they have lower POPS and still are not nearly as in demand as a PSA card of equal grade. The comparison is clear.
Harry Potter Ripping cards is wild 😅
Hmm… As of last February they were acquired by the same parent company that owns PSA, so this may not be relevant for long. I wouldn’t be surprised if they dissolved the brand entirely. Collectors Universe now owns 78% of the market share and with the recent drama over at Beckett, they might be positioned to scoop up even more. Classic runaway monopoly. I’d suggest doing a review against TAG, AGS, possibly Arsales (ARS) if they’re open to the North American markets.
I actually disagree with the sentiment that both companies won't stay relevant for a long time. Them being owned by the same company is because Collectors Universe wants to capture more market share, which they've done. It's like how Pepsi also makes Diet Pepsi, they recognize there is a customer for Pepsi and a customer for Diet Pepsi. Similarly I think Collectors knows there is a market for PSA and a market for those who prefer SGC. I think merging the two would lead to a loss in market share, it's in their best interest to keep them differentiated enough that they are competing with themselves vs. an external company. I love the Tech of TAG, AGS, Arena etc. it's what grading should be like. But the question is does the market adjust to value that? On one hand, it's the whole point of grading, at the same time, people generally grade cards to add value and would you rather an accurate TAG 9 or a PSA 10? People who are paying to grade want the 10 and I think the scrutiny AI puts cards under may lead to difficulties, similar to how the BGS 9.5 has lost value because people want a 10.
@@CleverCubanCards I can definitely agree with that. In an ideal world, we wouldn't have to choose between the accuracy of the grade and its value, but PSA has built a system where it essentially controls market value. Their daily volume incentivizes them to move as quickly through submissions as possible and having a pricing model based on perceived/declared value incentivizes them to issue higher grades. Obviously, most collectors aren't going to complain if they receive a higher score, but not everyone is a reseller. There are those who grade or buy graded simply for the 3rd party authentication. Others may grade just for the added protection of a slab. Granted, these are smaller sub-segments of the market - nothing that would threaten much market share, but I think these are the areas where a smaller grading company could establish the groundwork. Fraud prevention technology, historic transactional data, higher quality casing / UV protection, etc. More efficient processes, lead to faster turnaround times and cheaper prices. Those are also barriers of entry for a lot of users. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly where I was going with all of that. I think my point is that we need more options to keep things moving forward. There's plenty of areas in the space that could use improvement. Companies needs to challenge these areas and the market (at the very least) should try and be open-minded about others in the space. Nobody can build brand dominance overnight.
TAG fixes this
I really like the TAG slab. The consistency of AI grading is how it should be but until the market reflects that their market will struggle to grow
Nah man, you pay $150 bucks for the privilege to use PSA as a customer
You can get a collectors club membership for $99 mine just renewed
@ no you can't it is $150 now. They jacked the price 50% in 2024.
CGC is the fastest growing 3rd party grading company and #2 behind PSA.
CGC is much more relevant in the Pokemon space that makes up a huge percent of their grades
@ CGC has posted the highest year-over-year growth of the big 4 in the Sports category in October, November, and December.
CGC
CGC is bigger in the Pokemon space than sports cards but they’re 3rd generally right now amazing they’ve jumped Beckett
Ive never submitted to PSA but i can say from experience that SGC SUCKS!!VERY INCONSISTENT GRADES
That's funny because I feel the exact opposite. SGC has been way more consistent for me grading wise. Sure I get the occasional 8 but generally if it's a clean card it grades fairly well. PSA on the other hand ive seen significantly more inconsistencies with
I keep hearing about this incredible ROI for PSA slabs compared to SGC, but I have several PSA 10s on my eBay store collecting dust that nobody wants to buy. Lot of money tied up in cards that don't move the needle.
Yeah if its not the right player/card even it being a PSA 10 won't make it sell quickly