Grading lower value cards in 2023
 

With grading price points lower than in the past few years, I am seeing a lot of submitters this year grading what I consider lower value cards ($100 or less). I am also seeing these cards appear on auction sites and online sale platforms. I think is probably due to the backlog of cards from not being submitted in the past due to high grading fees.

It begs the question, will grading company tap into this market more in 2023? Maybe $8 or $10 fees for cards valued under $100. I remember back in the early days of grading, people would grade anything, especially commons. Maybe we will be coming back to that era?

There is a certain cost of doing business. I am not sure an 8 dollar grading fee would make any financial sense for the TPGs. That is, unless they would be a loss leader (highly doubtful).
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and a card...

Well PSA is running a $19 special for cards values under $500. Don't think it would be too much of a stretch to get a $10 $100 value if they wanted to do that...

In a recent thread on the post-war side, I spoke of this very thing after coming back from a local show. It was truly stunning how the vast majority of Topps-era cards being displayed were seemingly of the lower grade variety:

***Lastly, when it comes to TPGs, not only did I see an astounding number of SGC slabs ("They sell for a little less, but they're sent back to me in days, NOT years"), but a huge amount of the numbers on the holders being bought were 3s and 4s (I grabbed a PSA 3 1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams). That is quite a change for the Topps-era cards I seek. It used to be really only sixes or sevens and above (again, not scientific, just anecdotal) made an appearance.

Not only were those cards flying off of the tables, it seemed the vast majority of cards on display were in that general neighborhood. It's either due to the TPGs being harsher graders these days or to the fact that people are sending in more lower grade cards than ever before. Probably a combo of those two things.***

I wonder if some of the bulk submitters like PWCC get an even better deal for their submissions to CSG, like $5 a pop for their low value stuff. Maybe not $5, but maybe not far off?

I think its the harsh grades. Have seen 4’s that were 6-7 in the old days.