Future of grading...

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

well if you have a registry company that claims they are re-grading all known grading company submissions when they enter it into a super master registry.

Best you guys can hope for is that someone buys out PSA. Nobody is going to send all their PSA graded cards to a currently unknown TPG to get regraded for a currently unbuilt registry website. As I've said before in these recurring threads, the only way another company comes in is if they DRASTICALLY UNDERCUT the price of PSA's $6/card bulk submission specials.

Nothing else will make a dent, IMO. Maybe Beckett buys out SGC, and loads their black gaskets into the BVG holders? And takes over SGC's lousy website and integrates it with Becketts?

Hearing the reports at the National of PSA grading being slammed all week and the SGC employees either "twiddling their thumbs" or "looking like sad puppies" make me think the battle has already been lost.

[Bigdaddy]

I believe that there is room for a new company to come out of nowhere and bring a computer based grading service to the table. I know this has been discussed before, but with all the talk of inconsistency, 'eye appeal' and changing standards, I could see a 'software weenie' developing some code that would put today's graders to shame. There are so many optical recognition codes out there now including facial recognition - Facebook can tell me who's in a photo before I can tag it, it seems like it would be low-hanging fruit to optically measure borders, color, registration, corner wear, etc and give them numerical grades and then combine those grades into an overall grade that is more in line with what we call 'eye appeal'. And then also to bring some innovation into the registry.

[rhettyeakley]

Honestly, if SGC and BVG weren't the worst run companies of all time I think they would have a shot at cutting into the PSA market share.

In all reality for years SGC was the preferred company for many of the folks here and still were a major player in the vintage market, that foothold has weakened over the past few years. Some of the most significant vintage collections in the world are graded by SGC--- market the heck out of THAT! All that being said, why they have never embraced a truly usable pop report and why they haven't embraced the registry aspect is beyond me! They had an opportunity for years to do something but they painted themselves into a corner through lack of marketing and overall indifference to the registry, now I fear it is too late. From a business aspect they have been run VERY POORLY.

BVG has a lot of good guys that work for them but like all things with the Beckett name attached to it they become a jack of literally ALL TRADES and a master of NONE. The fact they own a auction house and also grade is a major problem, but then as if to prove how little they value their own grading service they have nearly all cards in their own auctions graded by PSA or SGC!!!

Also, I may be in the minority but I HATE the subgrades with Beckett, way to convoluted, I have a feeling I'm not alone? Their holders also suck to remove the cards from (as a habitual freer of vintage cardboard!)

[1952boyntoncollector]

There is also some room for PSA to make even more money

If they had mid grade level sets on the registry. Like the best PSA 5 1952 topps, suddenly there could be more of a demand of PSA 5s and a more affordable option to be key of the registry. Thats just one example

[basesareempty]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

There is also some room for PSA to make even more money

If they had mid grade level sets on the registry. Like the best PSA 5 1952 topps, suddenly there could be more of a demand of PSA 5s and a more affordable option to be key of the registry. Thats just one example

I know on the PCGS Coin Registry they have what is called Everyman's Registry Sets. These are coins that are circulated graded coins that are graded up to AU58 which is the highest a circulated coin can grade. I think the idea of Everyman Card Registry sets would be a great idea and like you said would generate interest in cards in the 3-6 range. Then collectors on a limited budget would not have to go up against the well heeled/ deep pocket collectors on the Registry.

[basesareempty]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Best you guys can hope for is that someone buys out PSA. Nobody is going to send all their PSA graded cards to a currently unknown TPG to get regraded for a currently unbuilt registry website. As I've said before in these recurring threads, the only way another company comes in is if they DRASTICALLY UNDERCUT the price of PSA's $6/card bulk submission specials.

Nothing else will make a dent, IMO. Maybe Beckett buys out SGC, and loads their black gaskets into the BVG holders? And takes over SGC's lousy website and integrates it with Becketts?

Hearing the reports at the National of PSA grading being slammed all week and the SGC employees either "twiddling their thumbs" or "looking like sad puppies" make me think the battle has already been lost.

I stood in that PSA line Saturday for 2 hours to have about 100 cards submitted for grading and was told by the customer service rep that they had already received more submissions to take back to CA then they ever had at any show. When I walked by the SGC booth there were a few people filling out submissions, but there was no line at all.
Also while looking through dealers booths the number of PSA slabbed cards vs. SGC slabbed cards was also noticeable. For years people said Pre war to SGC and Topps/Bowman era to PSA but I have been seeing a trend of more Pre War era cards in PSA slabs with the set registry/ higher prices fueling this trend.
My only complaint with PSA is their turnaround times with bulk submissions taking up to 3 months to grade but a recent thread over on their board looks like they are addressing this issue with a posting for jobs looking for graders at their Newport Beach location.

[pbspelly]

Originally Posted by basesareempty

For years people said Pre war to SGC and Topps/Bowman era to PSA but I have been seeing a trend of more Pre War era cards in PSA slabs with the set registry/ higher prices fueling this trend.

Purely as an observer, I've noticed this as well. PSA seems to have reached a tipping point, and I would be surprised if SGC is still around and under its same ownership 5 years from now. It's unfortunate, in my opinion, since I kind of prefer the way SGC looks, but I see SGC as kind of like Betamax to PSA's VHS. Beta was actually much better quality than VHS, but we all know who won that battle (at least at the consumer level, news stations and professional videographers used Beta right up until digital video cameras came along a few years ago)

[CrackaJackKid]

Couldn't agree more!

[ALR-bishop]

I have a fairly large collection but do not collect graded cards. I do not think grading is all about competition. I know collectors who are either in the hobby for solely investment purposes, or for hobby and investment purposes. They see grading as a neccessary component of today's hobby from an investment standpoint. Some even view it as a neccessary evil in today's hobby.

I get that Registry competition drives some collectors, but do not think grading is solely a function of competition. Likewise, I know a lot of collectors who collect for enjoyment and not competition. I think you can enjoy and be proud of your own collection without comparing it to or competing with other collectors....and admire the collections put together by others.

[1880nonsports]

couldn't agree more! Sad that my grader of choice (SGC) has continually dropped the ball......

[PowderedH2O]

If and when I buy graded cards (95% of my collection is raw) it is usually cards from the 1933-1952 era where I have a harder time finding raw examples. I have sets on the registry from those time periods. They are not in competition at all. They simply serve as checklists. Why should I be in competition? I am a school teacher. I have maybe $3-5k a year that I can sink into cards, and sometimes less than that. There are guys making $250k a year that can wake up tomorrow and decide they want to start a card collection and have a better collection than me in less than 48 hours. When I see the Donald Spences of the world, I am happy for them, but they and I are not in competition. My Roberto Clemente rookie would look silly in Spence's 1955 set. Same with my Aaron rookie and my Rose rookie. I am only in competition with myself to see what I can do with my own collection. You realize that with the right amount of money, a wealthy person could go onto ebay and nearly complete full runs of Topps and Bowman in high grade in less than a month, right? So, why sweat it? Just enjoy what you can afford and don't worry about what others get.
That being said, I prefer SGC in every way except for their registry. As I like to use it for a checklist, it is brutal to work with. If they fixed that, I'd lean towards sticking with them entirely.

[iwantitiwinit]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Best you guys can hope for is that someone buys out PSA. Nobody is going to send all their PSA graded cards to a currently unknown TPG to get regraded for a currently unbuilt registry website. As I've said before in these recurring threads, the only way another company comes in is if they DRASTICALLY UNDERCUT the price of PSA's $6/card bulk submission specials.

Nothing else will make a dent, IMO. Maybe Beckett buys out SGC, and loads their black gaskets into the BVG holders? And takes over SGC's lousy website and integrates it with Becketts?

Hearing the reports at the National of PSA grading being slammed all week and the SGC employees either "twiddling their thumbs" or "looking like sad puppies" make me think the battle has already been lost.

Agree.