New Grading Company - CSG

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

I clicked the link and yeah...not good.

I went to their site and ... yeah. The slabs look like the slabs you see on Ebay from somebody grading in their basement. Not good.

[3-2-count]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I went to their site and ... yeah. The slabs look like the slabs you see on Ebay from somebody grading in their basement. Not good.

I wonder if the many complaining about the look of CSG's slab would be doing so if they were around before PSA and SGC. In my opinion so many have just grown accustom to what they're used to.

We continue to see the countless threads complaining about PSA and SGC's rising cost of grading fee's, long wait times increasing more by the day and a plethora of tampered cards getting into their slabs yet we bitch about a new comers slab.

I swear some of the things I hear collectors complain about absolutely blows my mind. I truly hope that CSG takes the market by storm and puts huge amounts of pressure on the others to improve their business or potentially lose it. We all deserve better than what we're currently getting. A slab design should be low on the list of expectations from third party authentication if even mentioned at all.

My two cents! Carry on...............

[tab]

Need a grading company that sticks to vintage. Leave all that new shiny stuff and Pokémon cards for others. A company needs to be able to service their customers in a timely manner. The current waiting time for PSA is ridiculous!

[hcv123]

Competency SHOULD matter
Resale value matters (to many)
looks matter
cost/wait times matter


I am hopeful with Nat Turner and Steve Cohen taking over PSA that we will see some desperately needed change happen there.
I agree the CSG holder looks horrible (and it matters). For those who choose to give them a shot, keeping an open mind to see how they do in the other areas.

[Tyruscobb]

Originally Posted by 3-2-count

A slab design should be low on the list of expectations from third party authentication if even mentioned at all.

Presentation matters. There is an entire industry that focuses on it. Take your favorite family photograph and place it into a cheap frame. Now, take the same photograph to a professional framer and I guarantee the new frame will magnify the photograph’s effect and presentation.

Just like your family photograph, you are more concerned with the card than its slab/frame. However, a nice slab/frame significantly adds to the overall presentation and effect.

I agree that there are more important factors, but presentation, especially for cards that I collect for my PC and plan on looking at until I die, is very important.

This post is not expressing an opinion concerning whether this new company’s slabs, or any other TPG’s slabs for that matter, are or are not aesthetically pleasing.

[Casey2296]

Aesthetics are important to pre war collectors. I realize we're not the most important demo to grading companies but having an option for a black apron and a subtle label would have grabbed a lot of market share from that demo.

[perezfan]

+3 (to the three posts directly above). These posts all echo my sentiments exactly.

I am sooooo ready to give them a try, but am having trouble getting past that gigantic flip/slab. Especially with regard to my Tobacco and Caramel Cards.

It's the presentation of the actual card that matters.... not the number. Now that they are an advertiser here, I really hope someone from CSG is reading (and subsequently addressing) this!

[Exhibitman]

Aesthetic preferences are like buttholes: everyone has one. I actually like the holder and flip. And let's be honest here: far more collectors care about the flip than the card inside anyway. Perhaps not in this fine group but certainly among the general body of collectors. Once these cards reach the market and start selling all will be forgiven.

[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Aesthetic preferences are like buttholes: everyone has one. I actually like the holder and flip. And let's be honest here: far more collectors care about the flip than the card inside anyway. Perhaps not in this fine group but certainly among the general body of collectors. Once these cards reach the market and start selling all will be forgiven.

Adam - I think I like the holder and flip as well.
I'd really like to see them do everything right and honor all sportscard collectors.

Really anxious to see what type of results Leon gets with his vintage submission.
I think turn around time is a very big deal in today's TPG market. The delays have been intolerable for too long and collectors should root for a new player in this space.
I honestly hope it happens for CSG.
RayB

[Leon]

I can pretty much assure everyone that CSG reads this forum. Keep the comments coming. I am neutral on the flip as I buy cards. That said, I agree the SGC black inserts really make our cards pop. I will probably never use them again, as I don't like their management ways or recent capabilities, but they do have nice slabs.

[mq711]

Can’t imagine they will get a hugh market share of vintage cards but should have enough interest from modern collectors, investors and flippers who have a who is hot now mentality. Since a lot of the modern cards are busy and loud they will display much better in those slabs than a T206 or Cracker Jack.

I’m still shocked they don’t include a measured centering option to the flip and add a Perfect 10 grade to their scale. Since most modern cards are mint, one with all around 50/50 centering would receive a gold flip and then let the chase begin.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by 3-2-count

I wonder if the many complaining about the look of CSG's slab would be doing so if they were around before PSA and SGC. In my opinion so many have just grown accustom to what they're used to.

I don't follow the logic here. They're not first. They don't get the benefit of the doubt that comes from being first. They should be improving on what's already available not coming up with "well, it wouldn't be that bad if nobody else had done it before".

[chadeast]

Here is my attempt at showing what my WaJo M101-4 would look like in a CSG holder. Again, apologies for my low grade MS Paint skills, all scaling was done by hand. A T206 would obviously be smaller still.

EDIT: added a third with clear/white background

[perezfan]

The second one looks far better to me. Better ratio of card to slab.

I hope also, that they will have slabs that can properly accommodate the size of these smaller cards, without the use of a hideous wrinkled up baggie (PSA style). That is an immediate deal killer for me. I actually display most of my cards, so a clean refined look is far superior to PSA's haphazard tilting cards with baggies.

Thanks for doing the photoshop!

[chadeast]

Originally Posted by perezfan

The second one looks far better to me. Better ratio of card to slab.

I hope also, that they will have slabs that can properly accommodate the size of these smaller cards, without the use of a hideous wrinkled up baggie (PSA style). That is an immediate deal killer for me. I actually display most of my cards, so a clean refined look is far superior to PSA's haphazard tilting cards with baggies.

Thanks for doing the photoshop!

You're welcome. I display my cards too. The holders matter to me, very much. And yes, I have a current preference

EDIT: Note that any slab even an 1/8" taller than an SGC slab will not fit in my display case.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by chadeast

You're welcome. I display my cards too. The holders matter to me, very much. And yes, I have a current preference

EDIT: Note that any slab even an 1/8" taller than an SGC slab will not fit in my display case.

Beautiful display.

That's exactly what I meant to convey about clean aesthetics and a slab that emphasizes the card above the slab. Awesome Goudeys and classy looking display!