SGC grading is super fast.
 

Mailed a 20 card order from my home on June 15th. Received an email today, June 24th that cards have been graded and shipped. Only 9 days later. Don't think it's possible to get a cards graded quicker that that. Frank

Agreed, super fast lately, which is awesome!

However, that does says something about demand, which may not be a great signal

Were the grades as expected?

significantly faster than 6 an 9 months ago. the market is clearly a fraction of what it was

SGC cards
 

To nineunder71- It is very dangerous to suggest that SGC is returning cards
quickly merely because demand "may" be light. Not sure if you've ever been
to a Chick Fil A drive thru. TONS of customers, but they are met by a well
organized work force that knows it's stuff and gets the food to you fast. Now
imagine a McDonald's drive thru with a ton of customers. You can actually
grow a beard waiting in the same line. The reason? Less organization, less
happy employees, more foot dragging. SGC isn't perfect, but they provide
what so many of us lament as lacking from PSA- a great product, FAST.
(And no, I don't own a Chick Fil A or work for SGC:)

Trent King

Sounds clear to me that demand is down as it should be. Beckett, CSG and PSA are all returning cards much faster now as well. To suggest that all of them just figured out how to be more efficient is silly. Faster turnaround times...same staff means fewer cards to grade.

I would expect price drops soon and/or layoffs. The big 4 all expanded to meet demands in a very robust market. All have to be thinking about contraction at this point. The bigger they are the more thinking they should be doing.

Sgc
 

Chase- you're putting words in my mouth, and that dog won't hunt. It IS
silly to claim I stated ALL graders "somehow" got more efficient. SGC has been
light years ahead of PSA in the regard for some time, even during heavy
submissions. Lots of folks whistle nervously when PSA is called out because
they have prayed at that altar forever and are counting on it; however, my
comment stands.

Trent King

Chick fila does not have a fast drive thru. People just think they do because they are always accurate, friendly and do stuff like taking order way before speaker and bringing food out at a different place other than the window.

Studies have shown they actually have one of the slower times in the fast food industry.

Trent,

SGC has done a great job since expanding and being able to deliver faster turnaround times for less money than all of their competitors. My point, which you have missed because you took offense to my post, is that all 4 TPG are returning cards much faster than they had been even 2 months ago. It suggests that all of them...including SGC are returning cards faster because they are all getting fewer cards. If you want to believe it is because SGC is even more efficient now then run with it.

Chase

That's much better than PSA. My 20 card Economy submission is now on day 87 and still in QA Check 1. They have not been doing submissions in order either. When they started their Economy Events back in January they were returning orders in 5-7 weeks. That doesn't seem to be the case at all now.

I sent two orders to SGC and got them back within 10 days.

I'm also waiting for two bulk orders at PSA since March 2021.

Sgc
 

To Notfast- way to miss the point! Since you're into parsing words, I'll make
it really basic. Chick Fila is a restaurant where a customer can go in, or get
food by driving through(!) the property and getting food from workers who
are NOT inside. And Chick Fil A does indeed have a "window" where both
payment AND food/drink are exchanged (unless I've been having out of
body experiences while there). Any comment on the actual topic?

Lorewalker- I didn't miss your point, I defeated it. If you want to refer to
being correct as "running with it", then by all means...run with it.

To prestigecollectibles(Robert)- thanks for the lucidity and real world
example. It's not that difficult, gang!

Trent King

I think we are going on month 14 for our Swingin' 60's sub to PSA.

Trent, the only one missing any points in this thread is you.

No one said or implied that SGC wasn't quick and doing a great job in turning around submissions. The implication was that SGC, as well as with PSA and other TPGs, turnaround times recently all seem to be getting better and faster, is an indication that the backlogs and new submissions are not at the levels they were not too long ago. No one said anything detrimental about SGC's work or business, which you used the ridiculous McDonalds/Chick-Fil-A drive thru time comparison to attack with. A grader at any of the TPGs is going to take a set, average amount of time, to grade a single card. And I would expect that that average grading time per card does not vary much, if any at all, between their best and worst graders. So unless a TPG has suddenly hired/added a lot of new graders, they are predictably going to be able to turn around and grade so many cards, per day, on average. So if they go from taking about three weeks (21 days) to grade and turn around someone's card submissions to now turning them around in say just 9 days, that invariably indicates that they have significantly reduced the backlog of cards they have to grade. And the only real way to significantly do that, again without having hired/added lots of new graders, is if the new submissions are coming in at a lesser number than the graded cards going out on a daily basis. That is just simple math! Now there could be other reasons that have a partial or temporary effect on these backlogs and how quickly cards are turned around, but arguably not like we're consistently seeing among all the TPGs turnaround times recently.

Regarding the Chick-Fil-A versus McDonalds comparison, could some of that drive-thru time difference also be a function of the different menus and number of items on them, as well as the inside, sit-down business they each may or may not have as well? And as for less happy employees and such, McDonalds primarily sells beef products, whereas Chick-Fil-A primarily sells you-know-what. It is also seems that poultry prices and supply haven't taken as big of a rise/hit as beef prices and supply appear to have lately. And as a result, McDonalds may in trying to maintain menu pricing without doubling the cost of Big Macs, not be able to simply increase employee wages to where more, and supposedly better, employees would sign on. Though they are both fast food businesses, they are not necessarily similar businesses in that their main products are totally different. And okay, so it takes a couple minutes more in McDonald's drive thru sometimes. Can you do a better and faster job of cooking the same burgers and fries at home as you can by going to McDonalds to get them? Assuming not, then McDonalds is still fulfilling their commitment to getting customers fast food at a somewhat reasonable price. Now if you were to compare McDonalds to say Burger King or Wendy's drive thru times, that makes a lot more sense. What you're doing seems to me more akin to comparing a pizza parlor to a gyro place, as far as order/preparation times and comparisons go.

I don't get what your beef (pun intended) is with the one poster who merely suggested that faster turnaround times are possibly an indicator that the submissions coming in are slowing down. That poster never said or implied that his comment was directed solely at SGC, but you sure seem to have taken it that way. His comment was also not attacking SGC, nor suggesting SGC was doing anything wrong, or even naming them. Before attacking him, did you even think to possibly ask him first if he was talking solely about SGC, or maybe about all TPGs in general? No you didn't, did you? And then others followed and posted how the dropping turnaround times are across all the TPGs, and that may indicate an overall drop in submissions for the entire TPG industry, not just SGC. And as also mentioned by other posters, that could then potentially spell some issues for all TPGs who hired/added a lot of new graders during the pandemic to deal with the backlogs and submission surges. Your defense of SGC against nineunder71 was merely that, and I quote, "SGC isn't perfect, but they provide what so many of us lament as lacking from PSA- a great product, FAST." No one said otherwise or disputed that.

But the fact that a lot more collectors/investors seem to want to send their cards to be graded by PSA because they tend to bring higher prices than any other TPG graded cards, and that PSA has recently started to lower their submission fees and expand submissions they accept, might that not also be a contributing factor as to why SGC could be suddenly experiencing fewer submissions, and therefore faster turnaround times as well? In addition, you apparently didn't even think of or mention the fact that there is a new qualified TPG out there, CSG, that is now competing against SGC, PSA, and BVG, and most likely taking away business from all of them as well. And of course, there is the economy itself, and the inflation we're in the midst of, that is also likely having an overall negative effect on the hobby, which will of course naturally extend to the grading of cards and their submission as well. If people start thinking that card prices may be going down in the near future due to the economy, doesn't it make sense that submissions will likely go down, at least for a period of time, as well?

Use some common sense and logic. Aside from hiring/adding many new graders, the only way SGC (or any other of the TPGs for that matter) could suddenly cut their backlog and dramatically improve their turnaround times other than by decreased submissions, wouldn't be due to sudden increases in efficiency. It would most likely be due to them telling graders to start cutting corners and not be completely thorough in the examination and grading of cards, so they can turn even more of them around faster and faster. Face it, there is going to be some minimal amount of time and effort to properly examine, grade, and encapsulate a graded card. And all these TPGs (with the exception of CSG) have been in the grading business for decades now. Do you really think that any of them have not already fine-tuned their grading processes and efficiencies so as to have each grader be able to turn out as many graded cards as they can each day, and thus maximize each company's potential for profits? I'd love to hear what sudden upgrade or changes to their procedures and operating efficiencies you're aware of that SGC has recently put into place that would otherwise explain the increased speed in their turnaround times.

If you can actually come back with ANY factual, logical or senseful arguments(s) to the contrary of what I or others have posted (because you sure haven't so far to anyone), I'm all ears. Actually convince me you're possibly at least partially right about something, and have some valid reasoning and arguments, not just the usual "Well I'm right and you're wrong!" crap I seem to most often get from a lot of others on this forum. Otherwise, you owe nineunder71 and Chase (Lorewalker) apologies!!!!!

(And for the record, I have no interest or anything to do with PSA, SGC, BVG, or CSG, and I sure as hell have nothing to do with McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, or any other fast food place for that matter!)

SGC grading
 

BobC-

1) I owe neither Lorewalker nor you, an apology.

2) Since sarcasm/ subtlety are beyond your comprehension, I
don't truly have a "beef" with Lorewalker. I feel compelled to call
foolish statements out for what they are.

3) You have strayed way beyond the point, not me. You are
operating under the notion that painfully long responses somehow
count for more. You're not being paid by the word, and it's been a long
time since I've read so much verbiage with so little content. You're like
Eugene O'Neill, except your manifestos are tripe.

4) Now then, high tail it to your nearest Chick Fil A with your list of
outstanding PSA submissions. Here's a test- write another load of pseudo
babble and be sure to post it as soon as you can. Make it full of anger and
admonition directed at me (I won't read it, but you will feel better). Then,
see which happens first- the arrival of your PSA cards, or the completion
of your magnum opus. I'll check back in a year.

Trent King

Sgc
 

is super fast!

SGC gets cards back quicker than other grading companies even load the order in their system.

Fact!

Those that know.......just know.

Chik-Fil-A references just make me hungry. Honest.

Moo!

:cool:

Wow I definitely missed the part where you defeated my point but how about I give you an "atta boy" for the effort? Seems very much like you need it. And of the two of us, I am definitely not the one hung up on needing to be correct.

Sgc
 

Lorewalker- you're not "hung up", but you keep replying...got it. If you and
BobC can find a few more Infinity Stones, you can use the Gauntlet against
me! Trent King

+1

Sgc
 

Orioles 1954

-1

Gosh, I feel so good writing that. Did I negate your +1?

(Sarcasm for those of you who miss it)

Trent King

Sgc
 

Orioles 1954-

I've changed my mind, I'm going with -2!

Think I'll focus now on acquiring cards, thanks for playing.

Trent King

King Trent are you an adult? Just checking. Might want to find one who can read this thread to you and explain it. But you really do not look THAT foolish, honestly.

Sgc
 

Lorewalker- have you been checked for a cranial/rectal inversion lately? And
you DO look foolish (honestly). Keep trying, hoss! Trent King

This was just in the news today- c-f-a is working to solve their massive issues with drive through service.

https://www.eatthis.com/news-chick-f...e-thru-issues/


Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I think they're doing a good job. They more than doubled staff a year or so ago so they are probably up to speed at this point. I can't speak on the other graders but SGC seems to be doing pretty well.

At my local Chik-Fil-A the average wait time is about a half hour...and that's with two lanes. It's a nice sandwich but not going to burn through gas for some chicken and waffle fries.

Literally WTF is this thread how does it go from SGC go CFA??? And you’d be crazy to think that faster turnaround times and the market slowing aren’t correlated. Have y’all seen the news lately? Yeah the big dogs may not be affected, but the little to middle fish I’d imagine most certainly are to some degree.

Sigh. This thread is past popcorn.
Peace out.

As fully expected, Trent didn't/couldn't give a single logical or sensical argument or any actual facts to prove or support any of the points he was making, nor to disprove anything I or others were saying. As I typically see with posters like that, they completely ignore any questions asked, and in my case often just choose to complain about the lengths of my posts, like that suddenly makes their arguments and points valid by some miracle. Because they don't want to see someone posting so much that they have nothing they can really come back at or refute, they oftentimes just continue touting how they are right, and anyone not agreeing with them is wrong. Brilliant argument, and way to try and prove a point, right?

He still rightly owes apologies to nineunder71 and LoreWalker, but I never asked for, nor would I ever want one. It generally takes a mature person to admit when they were wrong about something. I'll leave it at that.

Hi Bob,

I was looking at some of King Trent's posts and he apparently loves to go off on people out of the blue. He is entertaining but you cannot expect to have a meaningful conversation with him. As far as an apology the King has never had to apologize in his life...this much is very clear.

Take care,
Chase

Hi Chase,

Yes, I know fully well what you're saying, and how true it is. There are various people of similar ilk on this forum who detest someone posting all the different reasons and facts their points or views may not be as accurate and true as they like. As soon as they start complaining, instead of actually answering back with any real facts or logic, it pretty much solidifies they realize they aren't right, so they just deflect and/or keep chanting their "Well I'm right and you're wrong!" mantra, instead of simply admitting they may not have been entirely right or accurate in their thinking to begin with. It always amazes me how some people actually think and believe that if they just keep repeating the same false statements over and over again, that eventually others will believe and agree with them. The inability of so many people to have an open mind and be able to honestly and maturely look at and discuss issues from different sides, is one of the biggest reasons for many of the problems in the world today. Unfortunately, not a lot you and I can really do about it. You take care as well.

SGC grading
 

To Lorewalker and BobC- please accept my humblest apologies for
abandoning this compelling thread. I had to work on an actual card deal (!)
and, well, sleep...

It was cute reading your mutual admiration messages, very tender indeed.
Just a few little points, however, to snap you out of it:

1) I do NOT like to "go off" on people randomly. My posts contained no
threats or vulgarities. When someone makes a remark that is wrong-
like nineunder ascribing SGCs relative turnaround times to less demand
despite a consistent history of faster times- I point it out. My initial reply
was quite tame and didn't ruffle nine's feathers (as I recall, anyway).

2) It was then that lorewalker tried to put words in my mouth, and called
me "silly". Whoops, wrong turn... so I let him have it. He didn't even
have a dog in the fight. (I know, these darns facts are so annoying).

3) Then BobC came in with a Socratic dialogue laced with passive
aggression. Dear God, I hope you've never been called upon to give a
toast at a wedding. He missed the boat too, but you keeping doing you,
BobC!

4) To those who believe this thread was about Chick Fil A... can't help you.

Good Lord...

Trent King

Peculiar as psa opens up their cheaper service , sgc and their band of newly hired interns is slowing. Coincidence?

Chick Filet
 

I can tell you bought 2 of the cold chicen wraps and they were horrible. The chicken tasted like leather and it appeared they were in cold storage since the last time the Marlins were in the World Series..

I tried to return them and they said wont take returns. I said i know you wont resell them but you can at least take them back and throw them out...and i hoped they would then offer something else to eat since they were 8 or so dollars and they could see it was my only order and hence my only meal

but nooooo, they had me just throw it out. I should of demanded another item for free now that i look back but i thought their implied great customer service would of known that...i do think mcdonalds would of offerd up a substitute meal in the same circumstances.

what i dont understand about mcdonalds is why do they insist you pay them 2 dollars up front and you cant just pay when you are done?

Heck, ruth chris or mortons you can rack up a $400 dollar bill and they wont blink an eye if you dont pay them until the meal is done. You can have them serve you right by your car in to go packaging and they still will allow this.

but mcdonalds you better pay them the 2 dollars ASAP if you want any chance to get your dinner....so mcdonalds is not off the hook either..


i will have to check next time if chick filet, mcdonalds , mortons or ruth chris serves me very fast to see how their business this year compares to last year (to keep this post on topic)

The official times is this sub was received in March 16th. It was officially logged in on May 4th. That doesn't take into effect the weeks that passed before it was even registered as being "received". Right now, we are in "GRADING".

But what does that have to do with Mickey D's wanting $2 up front?

:)

If Mickey D gave food out before they received payment, no one would pay. Even the federal government learned that trick a long time ago.

If speed, and lower prices has no net gain at the end of the transaction, what is the advantage?

I would guess everyone has different end games to why they choose different TPG or none at all. IMO if you want the max return on investment then PSA at this point is who you want, and you may have to wait for that, and pay more for that max return. I think it also matters what cards you collect as to which grader you want to use, as I'd imagine that also goes into another realm of AH for certain types of cards being sold. The options of multiple is a good thing for we can all achieve what our brains think is best.

I forgot to mention for me faster isn't always better neither is more expensive depending on the end result or gain.

I dont see ruth chris going broke and they dont take payment until meal totally over....a check at ruth chris unpaid would equal 300 or so McD orders ..

some of the biggest crooks in the world had 'money',

Does SGC start grading t206 missing red ink, ghost over print and blank back again? or we just won't see them grading them anymore?

LOL, who on earth is paying for their fast food, AFTER they eat it?

I like Wendy's by the way. Shorter lines and better Chicken Nuggies. :D

right so why can you order $500 of food and other places and not pay until after you eat it and not even give a credit card up front...

People who work at fast food establishments aren't paid to watch people eat their food, wait on them, and work for tips.

I feel a little silly I even had to type that out. :confused:

Ancient History Lesson
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...S_NEW_0001.JPG

,,,every thread needs labels from before Wazoo was born....


..

Lol -
 

Yep, that's probably the reason.

I came to this thread late - pretty surreal read. I especially like how the three-sided flame war went on and on and on while a few other people completely ignored it and tried to stick to the topic... A valiant effort. But the $500 credit card comment really put the nail in its coffin.

Um, different demographic, different business model, different experience, different food, different timeline, different in every way imaginable.

Why do SGC modern cards sell at such a steep discount to PSA, and please don't quarrel with the premise, it's undeniable? Their grading seems as accurate, the presentation is as nice, set registry is not an issue for the overwhelming majority of the cards I am seeing.

Psa vs SGC
 

To me, it definitely is the Set Registry that sets PSA apart. Particularly when you have somebody as high caliber as Cosetta Robbins running it. She has been a model of efficiency for her 20+ years in charge. Plus, she is the kindest person in all of PSA. Nothing negative about SGC from me, however, I agree with Peter, it is perplexing to still see the difference in values between the two companies.

Just a quick update on my current lead time experience.

1. PSA Waiting on about 700 cards to be graded since early March, 2021.
2. Beckett. Recently, after almost TWENTY full months of waiting, I recd my
large submission back.

3. SGC. Never have given them a sub.

SGC cards
 

Peter Spaeth- great question! I agree that PSA cards somehow (voodoo/
deals written in blood with underworld creatures??) draw higher sales prices
than their SGC counterparts. Why is that? I will start with why it is NOT:

1) It is not because of better accuracy or consistency, that's for sure
2) It is not because of sterling customer service
3) It is not because of professionalism or integrity

The best explanation I can come up with, is that PSA was "first" in grading. I
am absolutely not saying this makes them best. They just got out ahead of
everyone. I think of a certain lawn mower/farm tractor company that has
been in the American consciousness for decades (their paint is green and
yellow). In my life, the clear worst mower I ever purchased was made by
this company, and it's not close. Yet people keep repeating their TV mantra.
It's familiarity, style over substance. People keep flocking to a restaurant
with a famous arch, despite the meat originating from skunk or opossum
(yes, this is sarcasm). Why do some people keep doing that? It's been
drilled into their skulls forever and they can't shake loose.

I like cards that are graded correctly and consistently. SGC fits that bill
more than PSA ever will. Every single PSA I own has been gone over with
a fine tooth comb and, unless there is a seismic change in their character,
always will be. I know my SGC 6 is a 6; however, all I know about a PSA 6
that I haven't seen, is that it is likely somewhere between a 1 and a 10.
They sure are rolling in money though:)

Trent King

Trent, it's hard for me to believe that all these decades later first mover advantage is the explanation, but then again I don't know. My own guess, I think PSA is better at self-promotion.

SGC cards
 

Peter- I hear you; heck, I could be persuaded to agree. But what else is there?
They survive scandal after scandal, are utterly ramshackle in their actual
business of grading, and treat most customers like filth. Is it the registry
after all? I don't give a darn about it, but is there some legion who do, and
who continue fueling hammer values for shaky product? Trent King

It is not just modern in which SGC sells for deep discounts to PSA. It is almost universal to all issues and all years when you compare cards grade for grade. Sure there are individual exceptions but overall PSA out performs SGC on prices realized. The data speaks for itself.

This is clearly due to the Set Registry. When buyers see as many people participating in the registry it gives them assurances that the PSA product is well supported.

PSA vs SGC
 

I honestly believe that if Cosetta left PSA, the Set Registry will never be as well organized, and well run as under Cosetta's domain. Also, it is quite possible (probable?) that many of us older in age, vintage dinosaur SET collectors, will fade off into the sunset after she departs...

One other reason to consider the PSA edge over SGC, is their website. To me it is night and day better..

I may kinda disagree with Clemente Fan who feels the SGC grading is the more consistent and accurate, but cannot be totally in dis-agreement as I have no submission experience with SGC. I, and presumably several others on this board and thread, can attest to the fact that when cracking out SGC cards and subbing to PSA, you are always taking a chance of getting an ungraded card back. It has happened to me more times than I can remember.

PSA certainly did well on the days they hired Cosetta and Jackie Curiel.

Eugene O'Neill Trent? Leave a good Irishman alone. John Updike makes the point, perhaps better

I wish SGC would take up tickets again. PSA could use some competition in that regard.

And it's RIDICULOUSLY expensive!

Tim,

Please don't feed a troll and give them more fodder to spew their ridiculous lies and statements about others. To complain like they do often demonstrates the attention span of a goldfish, and responses like that are frequently just an attempt to deflect and get around truly answering questions asked of them. Most likely because if they did honestly answer, it may show they were wrong to begin with, which they'll never admit to. Instead, they'll usually just come back at you with more sarcasm and hate.

I still haven't seen a single other poster in this thread agree to or support the premise that SGC has such a shorter turnaround time for grading cards than say PSA, primarily, or even just significantly, because of their organization skills or efficiencies. And what does that tell you?

By the way, Eugene O'Neill and John Updike are both great men and authors. Someone being compared to either of them wouldn't seem to me as a bad thing at all. To use such a literary heavyweight as Eugen O'Neill to supposedly make a sarcastic comment/insult directed towards someone by comparing them to him, ranks right up there with touting a Chick-Fil-A/McDonalds comparison to explain TPG turnaround times. No comment regarding the former, but the latter is most definitely a joke!

Curious to know..
 

Bob. Respectfully, and curiously wonder what it tells you?

Are you thinking they are dis-organized and inefficient?

I will say that Trent’s original premise of a highly functional SGC is just as valid as surmising that business is poor as mass lay offs are in the future. In reality, none of us know the truth.

right the people that wait for tips can stop theft..

It is clear demand is down for all of the grading companies and this can be seen by their bringing back lower priced grading tiers and returning cards faster. We all agree prices are dropping on most cards. People will logically end up grading less. All of the big 4 expanded their payroll to meet the demand during the boom. I don't think it is a huge leap to think they might need to downsize.

Last word for Bob C
 

BobC-

1) For someone so enamored of words, you are remarkably poor at
understanding them. Multiple posters did in fact provide specific detail
about the speed of their returned submissions. For this next sentence,
read slowly and sound it out: a person/business who performs faster and
better than a competitor, even during a work glut, IS "efficient". It is
really strange that you'd take offense to the word- but it applies.

2) So you know my emotional state now? You're an empath- awesome!
The vast majority of my interactions and comments on net54 have been
for acquiring cards or complimenting them or their owners, and what
you've been reading from me isn't "hate"- nice try though. You are a
creature who is utterly incapable of understanding even basic subtlety or
nuance, so I'll bluntly say your behavior has become that of the "troll".
You even came back to this AFTER the talk turned to other matters. In
other words, look in a mirror, goldfish!

3) For the record, I did NOT "compare you" to Eugene O'Neill. Anyone with
a high double digit IQ could glean that from my comment. Instead, I
picture Alfred E. Neuman when I think of you.

4) Your posterior is mighty chafed, partner. I think you should invest in
some Triple A Gold Bond Medicated for that condition. I've heard it is
efficient!

Trent King

Good God no, I, and no one else in this thread, ever said or implied that SGC was disorganized or inefficient. Quite the contrary, it seemed to be the implication of one poster in this thread that it was PSA that was less organized and/or efficient in relation to SGC, and that that somehow, to that particular poster, helped to explain SGC's fast(er) turnaround times.

What no one else really posting their agreement to what that guy was saying tells me is that no one else truly thinks SGC having a faster turnaround time than PSA really has anything significant to do with SGC's organization or their efficiencies either. Yet he kept posting like he's right, others are wrong, and don't know what they're talking about.

Go back and read what I said in post #13. I surmised that the reason(s) behind ALL the TPG turnaround times recently starting to get faster is most likely due to the TPGs having recently hired/added more graders, or that the number of new submissions coming in each day are dropping below the number of cards they have going out and reducing the TPG's backlogs, or possibly even some combination of those factors. SGC is primarily getting cards turned around faster because they have fewer to grade relative the number of graders they have.

Now go read posts #2, 4, 6, and 9, and see how what they were saying was apparently misunderstood and attacked in posts #5, 7, and 11. I came to the defense of the earlier posters as they did nothing wrong in putting forth some of their thoughts and premises. But in countering their statements, the only facts/arguments the antagonist has given to them or anyone else that I can see is the ridiculous Chick-Fil-A/McDonalds drive thru comparison he made. And that is totally wrong as he makes it sound like ChicK-Fil-A gets food to their customers faster than McDonalds does because they are better organized/efficient, and then transfers that same logic/reasoning to SGC being faster than PSA. The joke is on him though because it is a fairly well-known and documented fact that Chick-Fil-A has the slowest drive thru times in the fast food industry. So how that supports an argument of SGC turnaround times being faster than PSA's is laughable. And of course, he didn't ever respond and explain how it could be relevant, probably because it isn't and never was (and he knows, but won't admit it).

Clarified
 

I get it Bob, thanks....

I am just trying to understand (from some of the veteran, quality collector's) if I can get my own mind to believe that SGC is worth the time and trouble to submit at $23 per..

Been thinking for about one year of trying them on a 100 card sub to hit $23 level. That said, of course I am concerned about what their graded value may be if I were to want to flip and sell most of them. We ALL know and agree their sales cannot match other TPGs, and if indeed values in general are dropping, likely not a great time for me to test the SGC waters.

I chose 1952 topps "gray backs" on their drop down.


They were not labeled as such.


The intern I emailed said they only label red and blacks, not gray backs.

I explained their is a choice in the dropdown menu for this specific variation.


Intern responded it must be a glitch they need to fix.


More than enough for me to never send them another card period.

Huge misstep by SGC. Something more fitting for PSA to do but I know that is not the case.

I like the look of their holder...they used to grade very accurately and fairly but not so much recently from what I have seen. I simply cannot support them because at some point the cards I grade will be sold and while nobody can predict the future, PSA is more of a sure bet for maximizing one's return.

Not wishing to get into a debate, but I do have some anecdotal data to share on this topic. I am predominantly a psa registry set collector with post war master sets for Clemente and Aaron as a focus and other hof sets. I have been submitting vintage cards to sgc for the past 6 months through boca card submissions. They offer a discount of $24 per card group submissions vs $30 per direct per card . The Facebook group shows the specific submitters and numbers etc. SGc has increased their capacity to about 4K cards per day through expansion of physical space and staff over the past year or so. They were consistently running 2-3 week turnaround times for several months for the past 6 months. They are now turning around in a handful of business days. I can see through their page that the volume of group submissions had definitely decreased from 5-600 per day to 2-300 per day. Multiple factors involved here. I think the throughput was increased to 4 k per day for several months and now submission volume is decreasing in 6/2022. Predictioning that they will decrease pricing soon to keep volume at a steady state or decrease overhead

No one ever said or insinuated that SGC is not a highly functional business. Also, no one ever disputed SGC's overall turnaround times are faster than PSA's. But are you honestly suggesting that SGC's organization and efficiency could be the reason that SGC has a faster turnaround time than PSA?

The only real way to get a more true and accurate reflection of either one's turnaround time would be if you could send a similar card in for grading to each of them, that arrives on and at the exact same date and time, and most importantly, neither SGC or PSA has any backlog at all. As such, both cards would be available for immediate examination, grading, encapsulation, and return. That way you really could tell which of the two TPGs, SGC or PSA, actually may have the faster turnaround time due to their respective organizations and efficiency.

Aaahhhhhh, but the problem is they both have backlogs of cards to look at first before looking at the two cards you just sent in to test how fast their turnaround is. And I'm going to go out on an extremely thin limb and guess PSA's backlog is going to be waaaaaayyyyyyyy bigger than SGC's, so you'll probably get your graded card back way faster from SGC than you ever will from PSA. But what the hell does that faster turnaround time have to do with SGC's organization and efficiency then? Most likely not really a damn thing.

The backlog is currently the main thing likely impacting how fast either one of them can turn a card around. And what impacts that backlog, a combination of how many graders they have, how many cards on average each grader can examine every day, and lastly, how many new card submissions you have coming in on average every day. Pretty basic and simple math, more cards coming in every day than going out, the backlog grows, along with the turnaround time. More cards on average going out every day than coming in, the backlog shrinks, as does the turnaround time.

Funny how I don't really see where a TPG's organization and efficiency really have a significant impact on that very simple and basic formula. Especially when talking about SGC and PSA, since they have both been in business for decades now. And as they are both for-profit companies, one would highly expect they have both tweaked their organizations and efficiencies long before now in their efforts to maximize profits, to the point they have their graders going as fast as they can. And even if not for profit, one would logically think both TPGs would have tweaked their organizations to maximize efficiencies first, before even starting to hire more graders, in combatting the huge backlogs these past couple of years.

Now I've given you some logical and sensical business and real life arguments as to what mostly likely impacts these TPG turnaround times. And the fact, as other have posted, that the turnaround times of all TPGs appear to now be going down, is most likely due to a TPG hiring/adding more graders, and/or the number of submissions coming in to them every day on average going down. And there are multiple reasons the submissions could be going down. Among them, overall demand across the hobby for grading cards is going down (possibly influenced by the current economy), pricing differences when one TPG lowers their grading fees and therefore steals submissions from a perceived higher priced competitor, or even the formation and start-up of CSG as a new grading company definitely has them taking some submissions from all the other TPGs, as people in the hobby may want to try out the new TPG on the block.

So having said all this, want to explain to me again how Trent's original premise, that SGC's fast(er) turnaround time versus PSA apparently has something significant to do with their organization and efficiency, is actually as valid as the many points I've outlined and made, along with the logic, common sense, and facts I've presented with them? And by the way, just saying none of us know the truth is not going to cut it in this case. Can you give us any mature, logical, arguments or facts to really support the organization efficiency theory. He sure as hell couldn't/wouldn't.

And for the record, responding to someone's innocuous post and telling them what they said is definitively "very dangerous" implies that someone is potentially subject to harm or loss for merely giving their opinion on this forum. And without further explanation, reasoning or context, such a response can easily be seen and taken as an implied threat. The old carpenter's rule is pretty apropos in this instance - "Measure twice, cut once!". Except in this case it should be - "Think twice, post once!".

Hey James,

No sweat just trying to explain where I'm coming from on this topic.

In your situation, I'd have the exact same concern about which TPG to use, if any at all. I think you have to ask yourself if you're really planning to sell, and if so, how soon. As others have mentioned in this thread, TPG turnaround times are dropping, and it is most likely due to decreasing submissions, which as others have also said will probably lead to more lowering of grading prices as competition heats up among TPGs. I don't know the makeup of your collection, or the quality of the cards you're looking to submit, but as you and others have said, you'll most likely get the best prices for your cards when selling from using PSA to grade them.

That said, if there is no dire reason to sell right now, maybe hold off a bit and see if the grading market doesn't continue to promote further competition among the TPGs, and as a result, even lower grading prices going forward. It is possible that by this time next year you may be able to get PSA to grade those cards for you at a much more reasonable cost than now, and closer to what SGC would charge. Obviously can't predict with 100% accuracy, but it would seem that TPG grading prices are way more likely to be going down than up in the foreseeable future.

Also, depending on the quality and desirability of what cards you are looking to sell, you could check with different auction houses that may have an interest in them. They may have a connection with different TPGs and can possibly get you a better/faster grading deal and/or cost if you agree to consign and sell some of your cards through them. Big maybe, but doesn't hurt to ask. Good luck!

BobC
 

BobC- you are a complete idiot. The phrase "very dangerous" in my original
post was CLEARLY a reference to a comment that is logically "dangerous",
meaning "erroneous". You are merely making a pathetic attempt to drum up
support for your insane ramblings and it's not going to work. I didn't make a
direct threat, or an implied threat, of physical danger of ANY kind- and would
not do so.

Go away.

Trent King

home run!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I would like to know how this influx of new graders at all the TPG'ers are first hired and then trained, obviously a necessity by the flood of new submissions. More to the point, consider the following:
1. What is their experience?, e.g. modern, vintage or pre-war.
2. How are they then placed within the co.?
3. Is there a training program for all new graders?
4. Is there a system of checks and balances for high value cards so they are reviewed by more than one person before determining final grades?
5. Is there an alert system to determine whether any cards may have been submitted by known fraudsters?
6. How are the workflows organized?
And, of course, I would love to see their salary structure for all graders among the big 3.

I just sent a card today to SGC, to arrive Wednesday, I am paying for a two day turnaround and 2 day shipment back to me. Looking forward to getting the card back, graded by them. My only experience with PSA was a nightmare.

SGC is prompt in their email response, and assume they will be with the card I sent. Looking forward to this!!! Thanks to this post, decided to pull the trigger with SGC.

Holy Schnikies, did SGC just blow me away.

5 card order - all pre-war or 50s HOF.

Order form filled / paid = July 7.
Cards shipped = July 8.
Cards received by SGC = July 10 (yesterday afternoon).
Grades received + shipment notification = July 11 (today, 15 mins ago).


I only paid $30/card, and they basically turned my cards around in a single day.

That is crazy fast. Makes a person wonder if yours was there only submission.:eek:

PSA leadtimes....
 

Just now heard from my PSA Rep.

My last large bulk rate sub (1000+) sent 3/7/21 is slated to be completed by 9-2022. Basically 1 1/2 year lead time.

I asked what the turnaround tie will be if sent them a 100+ card order at the $18 level...........150 to 180 days.

As mentioned on some other thread in the past few weeks, my 800 card sub to Beckett took almost 20 months.

Now if we could just start paying more for ALL SGC cards and pumping up their value, that ONE day turnaround aforementioned is looking mighty fine..

I just had a similar [great] experience with SGC. I sent them an 1888 OJ, in part because PSA denies their existence. Scott

I will always take value over turnaround time so for me it is worth the wait for PSA. They also seem to be grading more fairly these days.

SGC was turning around submissions in 20 days in Sept 2021 through year-end. There is detailed thread around this time with members sharing their turnaround experience.

they either got 20x more efficient or are seeing 1/20th the business. its the latter. and it isn't good.

SGC grading times
 

Troutbum97- that's an incredible story, wow. I am part of a submission to
SGC that was to have shipped a week ago. Given your experience, I'm
eager to see what happens with mine...

Regarding the "end goal" for graded cards, mine is accuracy rather than
value. After all, value for extravagant collectibles is speculative over time.
SGC tends to get the grades right (and no, not always!) By the way, the
notion that PSA is grading "more fairly" is just wrong, and a bit homerish.
Seems very much like they and SGC are in a peeing contest to see who
can be harshest, particularly in vintage. There are many adjectives to
use in describing their grading, but "fair" isn't one of them...

I am glad SGC is cranking out submissions- after all, it's what they are paid
to do:)

Trent King