SGC processing times

boneheadandrube · #1 11-15-2025, 11:46 AM

I submit 30-60 pre war cards per month (for several years), they are at about a month and a half lead time since the middle of summer for my stuff. That brings it closer to what PSA lead times are so it makes timing between the companies appear more even to consumers. I do think they are trying to discourage submissions of modern cards to corral those over to PSA where they are equipped to handle that volume. SGC grading numbers are becoming similar to what they were before the 2020-24 boom which was their stated goal.

My hope is that they let SGC exist with an emphasis on vintage as that material requires a different discipline to handle than what 99%+ of their business currently is. The "machine" that grades modern probably doesn't like getting anything that isn't easily identifyable to the low knowledge employees it takes to do that work. Like a wrench in the system. If we're lucky, they will maintain SGC as an offshoot for the vintage catagory simply to streamline. If not, you are watching a company abandon the segment that created the value in the hobby to begin with.

PSA actually does a bad job with pre war vintage IMO, and will do everything they can to squeeze collectors monetarily. That's actually all that the company exists to do, the "PSA sells for more" statement is their reason to basically charge a commission on the cards value with upcharges and tiered grading fees. I know SGC has had these in place as well but it was always less predatory. Hopefully having SGC as that "boutique" company presents value to them enough to keep it. It's sad, but I now view PSA as an enemy of my hobby! They are like a toll booth every 5 miles on a highway...

bcbgcbrcb · #2 11-15-2025, 12:54 PM

Another week gone by with no updates from SGC. Not getting any better��

Same situation as PSA right now, one is worse than the other.

perezfan · #3 11-15-2025, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheadandrube

I submit 30-60 pre war cards per month (for several years), they are at about a month and a half lead time since the middle of summer for my stuff. That brings it closer to what PSA lead times are so it makes timing between the companies appear more even to consumers. I do think they are trying to discourage submissions of modern cards to corral those over to PSA where they are equipped to handle that volume. SGC grading numbers are becoming similar to what they were before the 2020-24 boom which was their stated goal.

My hope is that they let SGC exist with an emphasis on vintage as that material requires a different discipline to handle than what 99%+ of their business currently is. The "machine" that grades modern probably doesn't like getting anything that isn't easily identifyable to the low knowledge employees it takes to do that work. Like a wrench in the system. If we're lucky, they will maintain SGC as an offshoot for the vintage catagory simply to streamline. If not, you are watching a company abandon the segment that created the value in the hobby to begin with.

PSA actually does a bad job with pre war vintage IMO, and will do everything they can to squeeze collectors monetarily. That's actually all that the company exists to do, the "PSA sells for more" statement is their reason to basically charge a commission on the cards value with upcharges and tiered grading fees. I know SGC has had these in place as well but it was always less predatory. Hopefully having SGC as that "boutique" company presents value to them enough to keep it. It's sad, but I now view PSA as an enemy of my hobby! They are like a toll booth every 5 miles on a highway...

Regarding the part in bold.... Yes, that is beyond obvious at this point. Add to that, they have removed SGC from ALL Regional Shows, thus making it much more difficult (and riskier) to submit to SGC.

And they are not going to retain the bulk of SGC customers, should they decide to disband them. SGC's customer base has made a conscious decision not to use PSA for too many reasons to list. As it stands currently, only about 1/3 of PSA's business is in sports cards. The other 2/3 is TCG. Pretty ironic, considering their name is "Professional Sportscard Authenticators".

Svabinsky78 · #4 11-15-2025, 07:53 PM

I mailed my order off priority on 10/16. It was "received" by SGC on 10/28/2025. Current status as of today, 11/15/2025, is still showing as "received." So it has been about a month since I mailed it off to them and it is still in the "received" state.

parkplace33 · #5 11-17-2025, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Svabinsky78

I mailed my order off priority on 10/16. It was "received" by SGC on 10/28/2025. Current status as of today, 11/15/2025, is still showing as "received." So it has been about a month since I mailed it off to them and it is still in the "received" state.

Man, that is the quite the slowdown.

What are they doing (or not doing) at SGC?

bobbyw8469 · #6 11-20-2025, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Man, that is the quite the slowdown.

What are they doing (or not doing) at SGC?

How long did it to take for them to acknowledge that they even picked up your package?? My latest sub was picked up by them a few days ago, but no acknowledgment whatsoever.

vintage321 · #7 11-23-2025, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Svabinsky78

I mailed my order off priority on 10/16. It was "received" by SGC on 10/28/2025. Current status as of today, 11/15/2025, is still showing as "received." So it has been about a month since I mailed it off to them and it is still in the "received" state.

ditto mine. received 10/28, 14 card submission

sb1 · #8 11-23-2025, 12:41 PM

They are sometime slow in marking received. Further from my past submission, they have not changed the status from received and it went straight to post grading albeit a bit over six weeks

Yoda · #9 11-23-2025, 01:33 PM

I don't understand why PSA is robbing Peter to pay Paul. They could so easily make SGC the grader of choice for preWar, assign competent graders and make an announcement to the effect they will no longer accept preWar cards and these should be directed to SGC. Collectors still has 2 income streams and vintage collectors are happy. Don't get it.

perezfan · #10 11-23-2025, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoda

I don't understand why PSA is robbing Peter to pay Paul. They could so easily make SGC the grader of choice for preWar, assign competent graders and make an announcement to the effect they will no longer accept preWar cards and these should be directed to SGC. Collectors still has 2 income streams and vintage collectors are happy. Don't get it.

Perfectly stated!!!

And they have taken everything good about SGC, and purposely made it crappy to match PSA. They want PSA to be their "premiere" brand, so they can't have "boutique" SGC looking better than PSA in every capacity. So they purposely choose to ruin SGC's customer service, processing times, availability at card shows, bulk submissions, and consistency of grading. Then, after intentionally destroying the SGC name, they will make the inevitable decision to kill the brand. Hard to understand how all the PSA devotees and apologists can support such a company.

premiercardcollectors · #11 11-15-2025, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

Regarding the part in bold.... Yes, that is beyond obvious at this point. Add to that, they have removed SGC from ALL Regional Shows, thus making it much more difficult (and riskier) to submit to SGC.

And they are not going to retain the bulk of SGC customers, should they decide to disband them. SGC's customer base has made a conscious decision not to use PSA for too many reasons to list. As it stands currently, only about 1/3 of PSA's business is in sports cards. The other 2/3 is TCG. Pretty ironic, considering their name is "Professional Sportscard Authenticators".

PSA has completely lost the ability to evaluate and grade vintage cards. Their grades are a complete joke. SGC is at least more consistent. My understanding is that PSA has so many new graders who spend the majority of their time grading TCG and don�t even care about sports cards (as graders have the ability to pick their own stacks of cards). They hate grading vintage because it is more time consuming than modern or TCG.

Unfortunately, there really isn�t another grading company that retains value like PSA or SGC. As a result, my guess is that as much as most of us hate PSA, we will be forced to go to PSA if SGC were to fold or be sucked up into the PSA umbrella.

CSG and CGC are starting to gain steam with some of the auction houses due to their fast turn around times and cheap prices but as a seller and dealer, I can tell you that when I buy their slabs those cards tend to sit and if I do sell them then its for significantly less than what PSA and SGC sell for.

Beckett and MBA grading are also tougher sells and Beckett does such a horrible job at encapsulating.

Hopefully someone will step up or there will be a desire to spin off or sell the SGC brand for whatever value it has instead of simply killing it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

doug.goodman · #12 11-23-2025, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheadandrube

... I now view PSA as an enemy of my hobby! ...

Those of us who prefer to not see trimmed cards given an 8 have known that since day one...

But everybody makes money so I guess it's a fair trade.

JamesGallo · #13 11-23-2025, 09:02 PM

I had a 5 card order received on 10/10 got it back on 11/21

I have a 1 card order that was received on 10/31 and is still in received.

As another note i have never gotten a cracker jack card so poorly holdered from sgc before, it is not centered, the frame is way to big for the card and it will not move in the inner sleeve. This maybe a sign of the end of days.

James G

perezfan · #14 11-24-2025, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesGallo

I had a 5 card order received on 10/10 got it back on 11/21

I have a 1 card order that was received on 10/31 and is still in received.

As another note i have never gotten a cracker jack card so poorly holdered from sgc before, it is not centered, the frame is way to big for the card and it will not move in the inner sleeve. This maybe a sign of the end of days.

James G

Yes! I should've added that to my prior list of evil Nat Turner grievances, haha. They are now putting most thinner stock cards (not just limited to CJs) in those goofy wrong-sized frames. A real shame, because Cracker Jacks looked especially good (and really popped) in the form-fitting black gaskets.

Peter_Spaeth · #15 11-24-2025, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

Yes! I should've added that to my prior list of evil Nat Turner grievances, haha. They are now putting most thinner stock cards (not just limited to CJs) in those goofy wrong-sized frames. A real shame, because Cracker Jacks looked especially good (and really popped) in the form-fitting black gaskets.

It sounds like they are not restocking gaskets once they run out of particular sizes?

perezfan · #16 11-24-2025, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

It sounds like they are not restocking gaskets once they run out of particular sizes?

That could well be, Peter...

It's either that, or perhaps they had issues with the thinner-stock cards slipping behind the gaskets. If they were receiving complaints about that happening, it could've prompted this change.

I recently had a Wagner Colgan's Chip slabbed by SGC. They used this same type of non-form fitting square gasket, as Colgan Chips were made with very thin cardstock. If you look at earlier examples of SGC slabbed Colgan's Chips, they used to have a form-fitting circular opening that was more aesthetically pleasing.

But at least the card is being held securely within these more unsightly gaskets. Can't say the same for PSA, where Colgans are typically presented sideways or upside-down within crumpled Baggie. I'm attaching a pic, but the site may not enable it...

Peter_Spaeth · #17 11-24-2025, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

That could well be, Peter...

It's either that, or perhaps they had issues with the thinner-stock cards slipping behind the gaskets. If they were receiving complaints about that happening, it could've prompted this change.

I recently had a Wagner Colgan's Chip slabbed by SGC. They used this same type of non-form fitting square gasket, as Colgan Chips were made with very thin cardstock. If you look at earlier examples of SGC slabbed Colgan's Chips, they used to have a form-fitting circular opening that was more aesthetically pleasing.

But at least the card is being held securely within these more unsightly gaskets. Can't say the same for PSA, where Colgans are typically presented sideways or upside-down within crumpled Baggie. I'm attaching a pic, but the site may not enable it...

Any issue with thinner stock cards slipping would have been apparent decades ago and not just recently, no?

raulus · #18 11-24-2025, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

That could well be, Peter...

It's either that, or perhaps they had issues with the thinner-stock cards slipping behind the gaskets. If they were receiving complaints about that happening, it could've prompted this change.

I recently had a Wagner Colgan's Chip slabbed by SGC. They used this same type of non-form fitting square gasket, as Colgan Chips were made with very thin cardstock. If you look at earlier examples of SGC slabbed Colgan's Chips, they used to have a form-fitting circular opening that was more aesthetically pleasing.

But at least the card is being held securely within these more unsightly gaskets. Can't say the same for PSA, where Colgans are typically presented sideways or upside-down within crumpled Baggie. I'm attaching a pic, but the site may not enable it...

If SGC is running out of gaskets, maybe we'll get the crumpled baggie with all SGC slabs going forward.

Vintagedeputy · #19 11-24-2025, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

That could well be, Peter...

It's either that, or perhaps they had issues with the thinner-stock cards slipping behind the gaskets. If they were receiving complaints about that happening, it could've prompted this change.

I recently had a Wagner Colgan's Chip slabbed by SGC. They used this same type of non-form fitting square gasket, as Colgan Chips were made with very thin cardstock. If you look at earlier examples of SGC slabbed Colgan's Chips, they used to have a form-fitting circular opening that was more aesthetically pleasing.

But at least the card is being held securely within these more unsightly gaskets. Can't say the same for PSA, where Colgans are typically presented sideways or upside-down within crumpled Baggie. I'm attaching a pic, but the site may not enable it...

I had this one done about a year or so ago. Is this the good ones that you’re talking about?

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