More and more Collectors don’t want to handle submission bureaucracy, shipping and insurance anymore to get their beloved cards graded. Consequently, card grading middleman or “official agents” are very popular in Europe. Moreover, some middleman even live-stream submissions and returns on their YouTube or Twitch channel. Certainly, a great experience for collectors to watch and […]
Tag: Grading
Information around collectible card grading
BGS card grading services First of all, what does BGS grading stand for? According to their website Beckett is one of the most trusted source of collectors for more than 30 years. And what kind of card grading services are provided? Beckett is offering four main grading service tiers. Two for modern cards, one for […]
What does PSA look for when grading?
Choosing the “best” cards for grading sounds like a no-brainer. But in reality, picking the right raw cards is not that easy if you are not familiar with PSA’s grading process and standards. In other words, if you are preparing your first submission chances are high that your “perfect” PSA 10 contestant comes back as […]
Are screw down cases bad for cards?
Don’t get screwed! Maintaining condition for high value ungraded cards is a challenging task. Especially if you want to store them for a long period. An option are screw down holders for ungraded cards. However, more and more people “get screwed” by using the wrong card holders. But what does “wrong” mean? And how bad […]
When will CGC increase their grading fees? That was the big question in the TCG community after PSA announced to suspend their card grading services on March 31, 2021. However, it was just a matter of time. Consequently it happened on April 21, CGC announced to increase card grading cost by 52% on average (price […]
Where is PSA grading located?
There are many questions around PSA grading on the internet. Especially common are basic questions like “where is PSA grading located?” and “where to ship your submission?”. This FAQ lists the most important and helpful information about PSA grading. In short: PSA grading is mainly located in the U.S. with offices in California and New […]
What does BGS pristine mean?
Getting the grading vocabulary right can be confusing. Especially, because grading companies “kind of” use the same wording. But there are differences when talking about scales and labels. So what does BGS Pristine mean? Moreover, is it similar or equal to a PSA 10? So let’s have a closer look and find out! Answer: In […]
How do you store a graded card?
Today we are talking about graded card storage. It doesn’t matter if you are storing your cards at home in a closet or a safe. Or even at a bank. In the end, you will always ask yourself “how do I want to preserve my cards beyond that?”. Especially if your collection is gaining value […]
PSA suspends card grading services
Is PSA still grading cards? Well, PSA suspends most card grading services until July 1st, 2021. Yesterday, Steve Sloan (PSA President) announced the unpleasant update on the official PSA website. Reason for the suspension of PSA’s card grading services is the months-long backlog and the unexpected high March order volume. “The sheer volume of orders […]
How hard is it to get a PSA 10?
Sooner or later everyone in the hobby who is submitting cards to PSA aims for a Gem Mint 10. But why going for perfection and chase a PSA 10? Big reason behind is of course the exclusivity and the potential upside in short and long term value. Especially if you are talking about the holy […]