New PSA prices

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

IS there some sort of monetary increase if you have the "#1 psa set" over and above the total value of the cards?

I've always thought yes, but I could be wrong, I been once or twice!

I’m just spitballing here, but my guess would be no, and that anyone buying the #1 set would break it for resale. There would only be a premium over the sum if someone wanted to buy it to keep it/upgrade it, and I’ve never seen it happen. Not to say it doesn’t, but this would be my inclination.

[ejharrington]

I understand PSA's decision. They are a business trying to maximize their profits. Their reputation is also being harmed because they have been grading altered cards and not meeting expectations with respect to turnaround times, in large part due to a massive backlog.

This price increase will ensure profitability while almost certainly reducing backlog. I have accumulated about 20-30 lower value cards over the past 2-3 years that I was planning on sending in this year (likely through the Memberships, which are currently sold out). Clearly, I cannot do that now. I can't be the only one in that boat.

I expect (and hope) that, once the current backlog subsides, they have implemented the investments in people and technology needed to meet current demand.

Of course, SGC or the new company could use this as an opportunity to take away some of their business. For example, they could offer to crossover PSA Set Registry cards (assuming they pass muster) that would allow customers like me to switch over. I'm not holding my breath however.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by ejharrington

I understand PSA's decision. They are a business trying to maximize their profits. Their reputation is also being harmed because they have been grading altered cards and not meeting expectations with respect to turnaround times, in large part due to a massive backlog.

This price increase will ensure profitability while almost certainly reducing backlog. I have accumulated about 20-30 lower value cards over the past 2-3 years that I was planning on sending in this year (likely through the Memberships, which are currently sold out). Clearly, I cannot do that now. I can't be the only one in that boat.

I expect (and hope) that, once the current backlog subsides, they have implemented the investments in people and technology needed to meet current demand.

Of course, SGC or the new company could use this as an opportunity to take away some of their business. For example, they could offer to crossover PSA Set Registry cards (assuming they pass muster) that would allow customers like me to switch over. I'm not holding my breath however.

Meanwhile, across the street, SGC just raised their prices as well.

https://gosgc.com/

[Fred]

Pretty soon the price of the slab will be worth more than the actual card it encapsulates.

Sellers will be selling PSA slabs. Who's gonna care about the card?

[conor912]

If I owned SCG I would he offering free crossover for cards above a certain $ amount. If you want to seriously compete, you need to do whatever it takes to get notable cards into your slabs and then use that as a leveraged talking point to draw in more clients, starting from the top down.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by conor912

If I owned SCG I would he offering free crossover for cards above a certain $ amount. If you want to seriously compete, you need to do whatever it takes to get notable cards into your slabs and then use that as a leveraged talking point to draw in more clients, starting from the top down.

Unfortunately, they chose a different path.

[Fred]

PSA is the "gold" standard for collectors and registry collecting. People will gladly pay for the label/slab than the card.

If we took a poll, I'm going to guess that at least 80% of the people on this board would say that PSA encapsulated cards will sell for more than most other TPG graded cards.

It's like people have pointed out, PSA has people throwing money at them. Until/unless that stops, they'll keep following the supply/demand principle of jacking up prices until it's no longer viable to jack up prices.

[Oscar_Stanage]

Originally Posted by conor912

I’m just spitballing here, but my guess would be no, and that anyone buying the #1 set would break it for resale. There would only be a premium over the sum if someone wanted to buy it to keep it/upgrade it, and I’ve never seen it happen. Not to say it doesn’t, but this would be my inclination.

I am not sure many set collectors are going to buy a complete set and keep it. Set collectors typically want to cull the set together themselves, the journey itself is the attraction.

[swabie2424]

Obviously what I’m about to write is utter nonsense and will never happen - nor am I being truly serious, but there’s one simple step that’d alleviate all this nonsense if PSA really put collectors/“the hobby” first.

Stop all modern/ultra modern submissions. No grading any cards manufactured in say the past seven years. As of 1/01/21 collectors can submit their 2014 stuff. Lol. How many “quick flip” submissions does that kill? All of them. Plus so many less junk slabs down the line. It would return this whole space to a finer time in my opinion.

Then return everything to the same price. A card is a card is a card. This whole pay more to grade a more expensive card nonsense is laughable. One of the greatest money making artificial pretenses of all time.

P.S. I actually have no problem with people flipping and the current evolution of the hobby. The flippers, speculators and investors have been an interesting dynamic and always existed at some level. It’s just on steroids now. Everyone has the right to play the game the way they see fit. PSA included. They have long since become a golden goose that’s too big to fail.