May Grading Numbers - CGC and SGC

[parkplace33]

From Gemrate:

May 2025 - Grading Recap
Overall grading activity was ⬆14% in May compared to April and ⬆36% YoY.

May results set a new high for the fourth consecutive month.

Grading activity crossed 2.4 million cards in May, up ~300k compared to April.

PSA graded 1.65m cards - ⬆6% vs Apr, ⬆21% YoY. [Record high]

CGC graded 570k cards - ⬆67% vs Apr, ⬆209% YoY. [Record high]

CGC appeared to benefit from a few large bulk orders, including nearly 100k Topps 50/50 Ohtani cards.

SGC graded 145k cards - ⬇13% vs Apr, ⬇17% YoY.

Beckett graded 59k cards - ⬆3% vs Apr, ⬇1% YoY.



There were 21 business days in May ’25, 22 business days in Apr ’25, & 22 business days in May ’24. On a per business day basis, PSA was ⬆11% in May vs Apr, CGC ⬆75%, SGC ⬇9%, and Beckett ⬆8%.

Whats going on with CGC and SGC?

[BobbyVCP]

I think CGC is rising because they have become the choice for grading most TCG cards now...

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

So if SGC is down year over year, then why are they slower than this time last year?

Wonder if Collectors made them cut staffing.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

So if SGC is down year over year, then why are they slower than this time last year?

Wonder if Collectors made them cut staffing.

Scott, it is an excellent question. Another concern I have is their marketing. I really haven't heard from them at all in 2025.

[perezfan]

There's no way SGC should've been down in May. They had received a flood of submissions from multiple Card shows in mid-late April in addition to their regular mail-in submissions. Collectors (the company) must have put the brakes on them for some ridiculous self-serving reason.

Also, I would love to see the numbers with Ultra-modern cards and Pokemon factored out. Those segments likely represent 90% of this published data (or more).

[Peter_Spaeth]

The decline of Beckett is stunning.

[Brent G.]

Seems like SGC is now the vintage route for non-registry folks, as PSA and CGC face the Pokemon deluge.

[Schlesinj]

EDIT: (noted in first post)

According to a few notes on Twitter, CSG large increase came from a 100k bulk graded Ohtani 50/50 cards.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by perezfan

There's no way SGC should've been down in May. They had received a flood of submissions from multiple Card shows in mid-late April in addition to their regular mail-in submissions. Collectors (the company) must have put the brakes on them for some ridiculous self-serving reason.

Also, I would love to see the numbers with Ultra-modern cards and Pokemon factored out. Those segments likely represent 90% of this published data (or more).

This graph is just for sports, but also includes modern. Most of CGC's sports is modern, but that is a pretty stunning number.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The decline of Beckett is stunning.

Peter, agree. I am wondering if either a buyout or shuttering is in its future.

[Snowman]

CGC also benefited from PSA not accepting submissions from countries outside the US due to terrifs. Look at the number of hockey cards they graded last month in comparison to PSA.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I don't know how recent the practice is, but it appears Fanatics is now offering tons of modern cards graded AUTHENTIC by CGC and put in a sealed card saver.

[CardPadre]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I don't know how recent the practice is, but it appears Fanatics is now offering tons of modern cards graded AUTHENTIC by CGC and put in a sealed card saver.

They do vintage cards too. CGC took over for MBA doing the authentic card saver thing at fanatics a little while ago.

That whole program has been going on for a couple/few years I think…first with MBA and now CGC. Can send in your raw stuff to Fanatics and for $3/card get that service and put up for auction.