Posted By:
SolomonWith a google search, you can find similar welders being sold by many companies, with nothing to do with sports collectibles. When I looked at them a number of years ago, I think they were $10-20K new - maybe half that used.
Beyond that, you need a horn to be made to fit the item you're welding. You can't just weld an SGC slab if the size of the horn is made for a PSA slab. How well the seal is made is determined by how well the horn fits the item being slabbed. Horns are another $2000-3000 from my recollection.
Finally, you have the holders themselves. This is where the grading companies focus their security measures. All the various unique features of the holders are what would keep someone from simply switching cards, or slabbing their own and passing them off as PSA/SGC/etc.
If you have "blank" holders, you can do a lot of damage with the above equipment in a fraudulent fashion. If you don't have blanks - all you'll be able to do is a little better job sealing than someone with a bottle of glue. The holders will still show the frosting from where they were cracked and pried open.
Having said all that...I'm not sure it really passes the smell test for an auction company to sell a "start your own grading company" package.
I haven't seen any opportunity to make money in grading since 2000, unless you are part of a major established company.