SGC Update

[OldOriole]

Originally Posted by Mark17

Can someone sum this up in a few sentences? This guy loves to use words that say little to nothing.

SGC has experienced a large uptick in business. Accordingly, they are switching to a two tiered submission system. If it's not urgent you get your cards back right away it's $10/card, if you want them back in 3-5 business days it's $100/card.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by OldOriole

SGC has experienced a large uptick in business. Accordingly, they are switching to a two tiered submission system. If it's not urgent you get your cards back right away it's $10/card, if you want them back in 3-5 business days it's $100/card.

Thanks! Those sound like fair prices to me.

[packs]

Is onsite grading still a service they offer? I haven't been to a show in a while but it sounds like that's the best route these days if it's still done.

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by packs

Is onsite grading still a service they offer? I haven't been to a show in a while but it sounds like that's the best route these days if it's still done.

I have not seen them offer it at either Philly or White Plains since they moved to FL.

[36GoudeyMan]

This is an interesting approach, and maybe it will work, but I think the skyrocketing demand for SGC grading should have been foreseen, and the fact that it wasn't is a concern.

First, the time frame of "months ago" coincides, maybe more or less, with the start of the serous fallout against PSA from the PWCC/Moser trimming scandal, which largely, not totally, excluded SGC (with certain glaring inclusions). I think SGC should have seen the obvious potential for a shift away from PSA, and towards SGC and Beckett. Ramping up as that scandal unfolded should have been started much, much sooner.

Second, and this is more subtle, there is a growing consensus that the new basketball card market explosion is due in large part to new players with free time and money speculating on cards of players with a much higher international profile than the other 3 major sports (you could argue about hockey, but they don't generally play hockey as broadly as they do basketball internationally). The first glimmers of the market speculation on a bulk level was also months ago, when the auction prices of Prizm (?) and other similar limited edition cards started going insane, an observable phenomenon. With that kind of sea change in card money movement, SGC should have also foreseen the immediate demand for new card grading.

SGC missed both of these in a more timely manner,and the result is playing huge catch up and defending huge delays. That is disappointing, but I do applaud their candor.

Also,let me be clear: I am one of those who have largely, not entirely, switched to SGC, for many reasons unaffected by these market-responsive changes. I prefer SGC grading, and appearance, and am slowly converting and submitting (I Can Wait) away from PSA until I see some sea changes at PSA as well (if ever). This is not SGC bashing - I like and prefer SGC, especially for my pre-war cards, but also overall. I am just disappointed that it has fallen so far behind a foreseeable shift in market dynamics, and now we all pay the price, literally and figuratively.

As Dennis Miller used to say, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[swarmee]

It's not that PSA is losing business, it's that they're even more backlogged. SGC is still third by a large margin. But that's some impressive scaling in short order that if PSA could have replicated, would have not led to any increase in SGC getting closer to BGS.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by 36GoudeyMan

This is an interesting approach, and maybe it will work, but I think the skyrocketing demand for SGC grading should have been foreseen, and the fact that it wasn't is a concern.

First, the time frame of "months ago" coincides, maybe more or less, with the start of the serous fallout against PSA from the PWCC/Moser trimming scandal, which largely, not totally, excluded SGC (with certain glaring inclusions). I think SGC should have seen the obvious potential for a shift away from PSA, and towards SGC and Beckett. Ramping up as that scandal unfolded should have been started much, much sooner.

Second, and this is more subtle, there is a growing consensus that the new basketball card market explosion is due in large part to new players with free time and money speculating on cards of players with a much higher international profile than the other 3 major sports (you could argue about hockey, but they don't generally play hockey as broadly as they do basketball internationally). The first glimmers of the market speculation on a bulk level was also months ago, when the auction prices of Prizm (?) and other similar limited edition cards started going insane, an observable phenomenon. With that kind of sea change in card money movement, SGC should have also foreseen the immediate demand for new card grading.

SGC missed both of these in a more timely manner,and the result is playing huge catch up and defending huge delays. That is disappointing, but I do applaud their candor.

Also,let me be clear: I am one of those who have largely, not entirely, switched to SGC, for many reasons unaffected by these market-responsive changes. I prefer SGC grading, and appearance, and am slowly converting and submitting (I Can Wait) away from PSA until I see some sea changes at PSA as well (if ever). This is not SGC bashing - I like and prefer SGC, especially for my pre-war cards, but also overall. I am just disappointed that it has fallen so far behind a foreseeable shift in market dynamics, and now we all pay the price, literally and figuratively.

As Dennis Miller used to say, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I believe “months ago” is more referring to March when the hobby took off like a rocket. PSA got/is so slammed that newbies decided they’d rather have SGC slabs quickly than PSA slabs in 6 months. Given the market’s historically overwhelming preference for PSA, i thinks it’s fair that they caught a little off guard by that.

I don't collect graded cards at all, but I think the simplified tiers are great. This is capitalist America and the “if you want to cut the line, it’s gonna cost you” way of doing business is alive and well.

[vthobby]

I like this message. A bit overdue but honest. Without a doubt if you actually KNOW what you are doing in this hobby/business you then also KNOW that this company is consistent, accurate, and without a doubt underpriced in certain card areas. Compared to similar cards in other companies' slabs.

SGC has been solid ever since I started sending them cards.

In my earlier days, I sent a 1965 Namath RC to them raw and it came back an SGC 88. I was so cocky and proudly showed it off at my first Philly show more than 25 years ago. I also sold it for around $1500 at that same show.

I'm so smart............ughhhhhhhhhhhh

Peace, Mike

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by vtgmsc

I like this message. A bit overdue but honest. Without a doubt if you actually KNOW what you are doing in this hobby/business you then also KNOW that this company is consistent, accurate, and without a doubt underpriced in certain card areas. Compared to similar cards in other companies' slabs.

SGC has been solid ever since I started sending them cards.

In my earlier days, I sent a 1965 Namath RC to them raw and it came back an SGC 88. I was so cocky and proudly showed it off at my first Philly show more than 25 years ago. I also sold it for around $1500 at that same show.

I'm so smart............ughhhhhhhhhhhh

Peace, Mike

We all have horror stories like that. I sold my PSA 7 for $2,000 and thought I was doing something!!! Oops!!!

[Donscards]

I am on day 56 on a 20 day service--SGC received them April 30--plus I have 2 other orders in. Hopefully soon.

[VintageBen]

I'm on day 37 of a 20 day submission... received on june 3. Looks like I'm halfway there to getting my cards back

[Jcosta19]

Originally Posted by packs

Is onsite grading still a service they offer? I haven't been to a show in a while but it sounds like that's the best route these days if it's still done.

Pretty sure they only do onsite at National.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Rhotchkiss]

Their pop report is still DOG SHIT for certain vintage cards, particularly (At least) t206, e107, and w600

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Their pop report is still DOG SHIT for certain vintage cards, particularly (At least) t206, e107, and w600

They went with the developers "I can wait" service.