Grading card companies started in early 1990s and since then have become a mainstay in the trading card industry. Following the unprecedented 2020 year in sports cards, demand for grading in 2021 is extremely high resulting in multi-month delays for most card grading services.
There is no guarantee on the grade a card will receive, but a Gem-Mint or Pristine card will significantly increase the value of a trading card leading to card collectors and investors to submit thousands, if not millions, of cards each year for grading.
To help you maximize your returns and learn about card grading options, I evaluated six grading card companies and will share my top picks with you. Here are the six, listed in alphabetical order, and I have provided my top picks at the end of this article.
Best Card Grading Companies in 2021
Beckett Grading
- Prices: $20 – $250 / card, depending on service level (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1-Poor to 10-Pristine, including .5 scores (e.g., 8.5)
- Turnaround time: Varies and delayed as of Feb. 2021, see Beckett Grading
- Services: modern and vintage card grading, authentication, comic book grading
- Year Founded: 1999
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Yorba Linda, CA, Beckett Grading Services is among the most popular grading services in the trading card industry. Beckett offers “a high-quality sports card grading service” for both modern (1981 – present) and vintage (1980 and prior) cards.
The Beckett “Black Label” commands extremely high prices in the trading card market. For example, this 2003 Topps Chrome LeBron James BGS 10 RC sold for ~$89,000 in December 2020.
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Pros
- BGS-10-Pristine cards capture highest value in market
- Established brand and reputation
- Internal sleeve inside plastic case
Cons
- BGS 10-Pristine is extremely rare
- Vintage card catalog not as comprehensive as others
- Delayed turnaround times (as of February 2021)
GMA Grading
- Prices: $6 – $20 / card, depending on service level and order size (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1-Fair to 10-Gem-Mint, including .5 scores (e.g., 8.5)
- Turnaround time: Varies and delayed as of Feb. 2021, see GMA Grading
- Services: card grading
- Year Founded: 2000
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Odessa, FL, GMA Grading Services is an up-and-coming grading service. The GMA value proposition offered on their website reads “Only $8 Per Card. Why Pay More? Sports and Non-Sports Cards.”
GMA offers lower-priced grading services because they do not have the same brand recognition as PSA and BGS. I have not used GMA, but the company provides a Testimonials Page which features several happy customers.
Pros
- Lowest price among services reviewed
- Turnaround times for basic service faster than most (as of February 2021)
Cons
- Brand recognition lower than some competitors
- GMA-10-Gem-Mint cards valued less than PSA, BGS, and SGA
HGA Grading
- Prices: $20 – $55 / card, depending on service level and order size (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1 to 10 (limited information available thus far)
- Turnaround time: Varies (see below)
- Services: card grading
- Year Founded: 2021 (as far as I can tell)
Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Seymour, TN, Hybrid Grading Approach (HGA) is a brand-new grading service. According to the HGA website, the company states, “HGA is revolutionizing the industry by implementing software that will allow [them] to scan, analyze, and grade cards without subjectivity.”
I believe technology will play a significant role in card grading in the future, but the concept is new and will take time to adopt. HGA appears to be a pioneer in the space, but if the technology gains traction, you can expect more established players, such as PSA, Beckett, and SGA, to incorporate technology as well.
Pros
- Technology enabled grading to remove subjectivity and improve consistency
- Pricing based on turnaround time, not card value
- Slab labels color coordinated with team colors
Cons
- New, unproven technology
- Lacks comprehensive card catalog
- HGA 10-Gem-Mint value is unknown in market to-date
- Lowest grading price is higher than competitors (e.g., $20 instead of $8-10)
PSA Grading
- Prices: $20 – $5,000 / card, depending on service level (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1-Poor to 10-Gem-Mint, including .5 scores (e.g., 8.5) and qualifiers (e.g., Off Center, Staining, Print Defect)
- Turnaround time: Varies and mostly suspended of May 2021, see PSA Grading
- Services: modern and vintage card grading, unopened pack grading, autograph authentication, original photograph authentication, ticket grading, sports memorabilia authentication
- Year Founded: 1991
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Santa Ana, CA, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is among the most well-established and popular brands in card grading. According to the PSA website, “PSA has processed over 30 million cards and collectibles with cumulative declared value of over a billion dollars.”
PSA is well regarded in the card grading industry. Collectors and investors regularly pay significant premiums for PSA 10-Gem-Mint cards even compared to Gem-Mint graded cards from other grading companies. As a result, PSA grading is in high demand which has impacted turnaround times significantly in 2021.
Pros
- PSA 10-Gem-Mint valued above all other ‘Gem-Mint’ grades in market
- Established brand and reputation
- Large modern and vintage card catalog
Cons
- Suspended grading (as of May 2021)
- No half-point grade between 9 and 10 (e.g., 9.5)
ISA Grading
- Prices: $10 – $25 / card, depending on service level and size of order (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1-Poor to 10-Gem-Mint, including .5 scores (e.g., 8.5)
- Turnaround time: 2-10 days, unknown if there are delays, see ISA Grading
- Services: card grading
- Year Founded: 2010
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in New Hudson, MI, International Sports Authentication (ISA) is an up-and-coming grading service in the card grading industry. According to the ISA website, the company was started to provide card-collectors with another grading option outside of the ~3 that existed at the time.
For example, the company states, “Customers are always pleased when their grading experiences feature quick turnaround, consistent grading, and a quality product—all at a fair price. ISA has built its business on these cornerstones.”
Pros
- Low prices compared to competitors
- Turnaround times appear to be less impacted in 2021
Cons
- Brand recognition lower than some competitors
- ISA 10-Gem-Mint grades likely capture lower values than competitors, but limited data available for my analysis to confirm
SGC Grading
- Prices: $30 – $3,750 / card, depending on service level (see below)
- Grading Scale: 1-Poor to 10-Pristine, including .5 scores (e.g., 8.5)
- Turnaround time: Varies and delayed as of Feb. 2021, see SGC Grading
- Services: modern and vintage card grading, uniform authentication
- Year Founded: 1998
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, SGC is a well-established grading company with history. Despite existing since 1998, SGC is less well-known than PSA and Beckett among modern card collectors.
According to the SGC website, SGC has “continuously set the industry standard with consistency, integrity, and quality of [their] services.” This claim is supported by a history of card collectors paying premiums for SGC 10-Gem-Mint cards. For example, the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan RC#57 SGC 10 sold for ~$150,000 in January 2021.
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Pros
- SGC 10-Gem-Mint cards are valued similar to Beckett Gem-Mint and higher than GMA
- Established brand and reputation
- Large card catalog especially with vintage cards
Cons
- SGC 10-Gem-Mint captures less value than PSA 10 Gem-Mint
Comparing card grade market value
Both the company and the grade determine the market value of a card. For someone who is deciding which card grading company to use, it is critical to understand the market value you can expect based on the company and grade of the card.
To understand how much the grading company and grade change the market value for a card, I conducted an analysis on the 2018 Panini Prizm Luka Doncic Base RC #280. I used the following parameters:
- Auction prices only, based on PWCC Market Price Research
- Identified a time when the Luka Prizm base #280 was transacted by the most grade company + grade combinations. I used September 2020.
- Included 10 transactions from September 2020 and took the average when sufficient data was available, otherwise I used less than 10 transactions.
- Eliminated Grading Company and / or Grades due to insufficient data
- Indexed prices against PSA 10 price to provide easy comparison
Results of card grade market value analysis
|
Grade |
Price |
# of Observations |
Index |
|
BGS 10 |
$4,725 |
2 |
3.63 |
|
PSA 10 |
$1,300 |
10 |
1.00 |
|
SGC 10 |
$795 |
9 |
0.61 |
|
BGS 9.5 |
$760 |
10 |
0.58 |
|
GMA 10 |
$630 |
1 |
0.48 |
|
PSA 9 |
$425 |
10 |
0.33 |
|
BGS 9 Mint |
$390 |
10 |
0.30 |
|
SGC 9 |
$360 |
4 |
0.28 |
|
BGS 8.5 |
$350 |
3 |
0.27 |
|
GMA 9 |
$340 |
1 |
0.26 |
|
SGC 8.5 |
$235 |
1 |
0.18 |
|
PSA 8.5 |
No data available |
||
|
ISA |
No data available |
||
|
HGA |
No data available |
Although it is important to keep in mind this analysis is for only one card, there are several interesting takeaways from this analysis:
- BGS 10-Pristine Graded cards are valued at 3-4x PSA 10-Gem-Mint cards
- PSA 10-Gem-Mint Graded cards are valued at 1.5-2x Gem-Mint grades from BGS, SGC, and GMA (note: BGS 9.5 = “Gem-Mint”)
- GMA graded cards are consistently valued lower than PSA, BGS, and SGC
Items you may need before you submit cards for grading
Fortunately, there are only a few items you may need before you submit your cards for grading, including:
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- Penny sleeves: these are flimsy, thin plastic sleeves that serve as the first line of defense against scratches, finger prints, and any other source of surface damage. I always buy Ultra Pro and have been happy with their products thus far. (Shop on Amazon)
- Semi-rigid card holder: these card holders provide a second layer of protection for your cards. Two layers is not overkill, it’s standard industry practice for trading cards. Card Saver is likely the most well-known brand, and the brand I buy to store and send my cards. (Shop on Amazon)
- Painter’s tape: I use painter’s tape to secure a more rigid form of protection, such as pieces of cardboard, around the plastic sleeves my cards are in. I like painter’s tape because I can easily rip into pieces with my hands and remove the tape easily from surfaces. (Shop on Amazon)
- Bubble wrap (or other): Bubble wrap can serve as an added layer of protection to wrap your card holders in. I absolutely recommend the added layer of protection, but bubble wrap is only one approach. I use cardboard boxes and packing paper, but bubble wrap also works. (Shop on Amazon)
The most important part is ensuring that your cards are protected during shipping. I’ve sent many cards using a combination of penny sleeves, semi-rigid card holders, painter’s tape, cardboard box pieces, and packing paper and have never had an issue with cards getting damaged.
Top picks for card grading companies in 2021
My top picks for card grading companies in 2021 are PSA, BGS, and SGC. These are my preferred choices because I care about the market value of my cards and want to be able to capture the highest prices from buyers.
Please keep in mind that my top picks are based on my personal preferences. If you want your cards to be put in a slab at the most affordable price, GMA may be the best option for you.
Alternatively, if you are curious about the latest technology in card grading, you may want to give HGA a try. I will likely send HGA a few of my cards this year to learn more about the new technology.
Regardless of which you choose, all six card grading companies exist to support your enjoyment of the card collecting hobby. That is the most important part. Happy collecting!
https://www.sportscardresearch.com/the-best-grading-card-companies-of-2021/