Do PSA slabs *really* sell for more than SGC?

[mannequin1]

Originally Posted by Snowman

We are constantly told that PSA slabs sell for more than SGC. This is probably the most common argument we hear whenever someone asks if they should get their cards graded by PSA or SGC. And, while it may be true that a randomly chosen card at auction in a PSA 6 ends with a higher hammer price than another copy of the same card in an SGC 6, it certainly doesn't always outsell it. The card inside the holder always matters more.

That said, the current state of grading vintage cards drastically changes the conversation. The more important question now is, "will my raw cards sell for more if I get them slabbed by PSA or by SGC?" This is a much more important question to ask if you're sending cards off for grading.

The reality today is that you have an extremely high likelihood of getting your cards severely under graded if you send them off to PSA, especially for cards sent at the lower service levels (sub ~$500 cards) where they have inexperienced graders evaluating your cards. It's been happening for a few years now, and I kept waiting for them to correct the issue, but it only seems to have gotten worse. The majority of their vintage graders simply don't know what they're doing. At all. It's really unfortunate. There are still a handful of vintage graders there that do give out fair grades, but they are becoming fewer and further between than in years past. And they're mostly just handling the cards that are sent through at the higher service levels. And even then, they're often still overly harsh on grades.

Contrast that with what is happening over at SGC, and it's a vastly different landscape. I've graded thousands of cards with both companies over the past few years and I keep meticulous records. The gap between grades awarded is now generally at least a full grade difference and often reaches 2 full grades or more. And it's not because SGC is grading soft. They're grading accurately and consistently. PSA simply is not.

I could post endless examples that demonstrate this from cards I've graded and regraded with both companies and cards I've crossed over in both directions in recent months and over the past few years. Here are just a few cards from some of my most recent submissions showing the grades they received at PSA and the grades they received at SGC. Again, this is just a snapshot. I could post endless examples just like these.

Also worth noting is that any color differences you see in the images are due to the images being generated by different scanners and/or scanner settings. None of these cards were improved in any way between submissions. They were simply cracked out of the PSA slabs and sent directly to SGC.

To be fair, any random submission can get hammered by any random grader at any company on any given day. Even the same grader can be more lenient on one day than they are on another. Grading is a human process and variance should be expected. I have gotten fair grades at both PSA and SGC. But what I'm reporting on is my zoomed out look at my experiences grading thousands of cards with both companies over the past few years over at least 100 or so different submissions and where the state of grading is currently at today. And in general, these results shown below are now extremely common.

PSA does not outsell SGC today. Not if we're talking about the same card being sent to both companies.

Note - the Lefty Odoul Goudey was previously a PSA 3 that I cracked and sent back to PSA because it was under graded. They then rejected it as "min size" the second time (it is not). Also, none of these cards have any hidden creases or other hidden surface flaws.

..

I find the differences between PSA and SGC incredible but why do the scans of SGC cards have darker, more natural colors?

[campyfan39]

He said in his post:

"Also worth noting is that any color differences you see in the images are due to the images being generated by different scanners and/or scanner settings."

Originally Posted by mannequin1

I find the differences between PSA and SGC incredible but why do the scans of SGC cards have darker, more natural colors?

[Fred]

Well, it's early in the post process so I guess I'll state what will be repeated. It's the registry slab heads.

We'll keep this to SGC and PSA. I used to think SGC was a bit better at being consistent in the subjectivity side of grading, then after a while it became obvious, they're not very different, especially now.

I wouldn't pay more for a PSA or SGC slabbed card. Don't follow the TPG, follow what your eyes see and repeat that phrase we always hear "buy the card not the holder". If bidders want to let a card go because it's in an SGC holder rather than PSA, then that's fine. The way I see it, if it's being discounted because it's in the SGC holder, then buy the discount and if you really have to have it in a PSA holder, then send it to PSA to get slabbed.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

All things being equal I would argue PSA beats SGC. Yes a High end SGC 6 can beat a low end PSA 6, but apples to apples PSA wins.

[GregMitch34]

As I have stated elsewhere, PSA has ridiculously high standards when it comes to (down) grading the M101-2s, aka Sporting News Supplements. But I now have quite a few of them. Why? Few cared about them before PSA started grading them in the jumbo holders just a few short years ago. They looked so bad in the Beckett holders and some were found to be mis-sized. (Yes, some want to keep them raw in any case but I'd guess some also hated the holders.) Once PSA started grading--even harshly--interest and collectors picked up enormously. And buyers/sellers quickly adapted to the harsh grading, pegging the value of low-graded HOFers (usually no better than a PSA 1 or 2 or even Auth) at high level. Just adapting. Not many higher graded, by PSA, will likely come along.

Of course, no SGC grading for these specimens--will be interesting if they start....

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

All things being equal I would argue PSA beats SGC. Yes a High end SGC 6 can beat a low end PSA 6, but apples to apples PSA wins.

OK. But would you pay more for that 63 Mantle as a PSA 2 or SGC 4?

My problem with PSA now is how the standards are moving. If you have a PSA 6 in an old cert, with a 0 or 1 to start, it's probably over-rated and worth less than an SGC 6. But a PSA 6 in a new cert will be undergraded and worth more. You need a conversion chart to figure the value.

For me, right now I am selling PSA and buying raw.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

OK. But would you pay more for that 63 Mantle as a PSA 2 or SGC 4?

My problem with PSA now is how the standards are moving. If you have a PSA 6 in an old cert, with a 0 or 1 to start, it's probably over-rated and worth less than an SGC 6. But a PSA 6 in a new cert will be undergraded and worth more. You need a conversion chart to figure the value.

For me, right now I am selling PSA and buying raw.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

in your example I'm taking the SGC 4. Low grade vs mid grade should still favor SGC in that case. Couldn't agree more about the current grading situation and think that's a pretty good strategy when you are as knowledgeable as you are and aren't at very much risk of getting taken with an altered card.

[Johnny630]

I agree with the grading of late, past 3 years on vintage.


PSA in my opinion has two things SGC will never have and that is Pop and Registry to me that means total control of the Value of the Investors Premium Vintage Grail Slabbed Collections already graded thus keeping their value high and pops low.