PunsRTonsOfFun

To clarify this as I found out, to qualify for bulk pricing, you need to submit 50 cards at that level, not just 50 cards total in your submission.

SGC is going to dry up fast at that rate. If they have a backlog, they won’t for long. Will be interesting to see if they keep their word and reduce prices when circumstances warrant. Not something that happens often (maybe ever) in the business world.

This is also why I was intrigued and gravitated toward CSG. Their parent company is already the industry standard in coins and comics. I’m pretty confident they’re going to add sports cards to that list in due time. Every CSG review I’ve seen so far seems to indicate they’re the new standard for tough grading. Eventually, the actual condition of the card and not the grading label is going to matter.

Two weeks here too. FWIW, it was worth the wait. It makes submitting incredibly easy and secure.

I love the Project70 cards. LOL...they're basically the only cards I can get right now. I was lucky enough to get a foil of the Tatis/Gwynn Keith Shore card. Really sweet card!

This is my hang up too. Not really interested in paying them to beta test their tech.

I didn't even think of using my breath. That's a great idea.

I'm putting together my first grading submission and I'm curious about card cleaning. I've seen YouTube videos of people cleaning their cards with alcohol pads and other things before submitting them. The big thing seems to be removing fingerprints. Is this recommended or would CSG return the cards ungraded?

This is the part that blows my mind. People submitting junk wax base cards for grading is the problem. They're as bad and as short sighted as the retail resellers. I've been collecting nearly 30 years and I'm putting together my first grading submission. It's only 21 cards.

I was really excited about submitting to CSG, but people receiving ungraded cards back with fees charged has dampened that enthusiasm significantly. That SubHub video where he got cards cracked from BGS and PSA cases back from CSG labeled as altered is particularly damning.

Unless this bubble bursts, grading fees will only move in one direction. If people continue to submit junk wax base cards for grading, the cost of grading will continue to rise.

I’ll be honest, with all the discussion I’m seeing on cards returned ungraded yet charged a fee, I’m having second thoughts about submitting to CSG.

Yeah...I'm sending a CSG order in as soon as I receive my shipping kit from the CCG Store. Every card I'm submitting was pulled from a pack by me. If a single card is returned ungraded, I won't use the service again.

I don't think it's going to be a matter of CSG interest increasing. I think (hope) people are going to wise up and realize there's no reason PSA should be the industry standard. It's going to be difficult for them to expand their team significantly without a drop in quality. This is something they can't afford as they're already seen as the easiest and most lax of the major grading companies (which is why they receive the volume they do). They have also been front and center for every major grading scandal. People asking why you didn't use PSA are only showing their inexperience and lack of knowledge in the hobby. At some point, the actual condition of the card is going to matter, which is why I'm focusing on CSG and SGC.

I'm really curious about the crossover services at the various grading companies. Call me cynical, but something tells me the crossover grades are consistently and measurably lower than if you cracked the slab and submitted raw. I would love to see crossover rates for the major grading companies. I have no doubt PSA would send a slabbed CSG 9.5 back a 9, but if I cracked the card and submitted it raw, it would come back a 10.

From everything I've seen, if you're going to cross something over, it should be CSG or SGC to PSA. PSA is well known for being the easiest and most lax of the major grading companies.

I would hope CSG is keeping an eye on the rate of cards receiving an altered designation and is able to adjust their technology should excessive or outlier rates be observed.

I can't wait for this sports card bubble to bust. Sooner the better. The problem with sports cards becoming an "alt investment" is that, eventually, it prices out those with limited financial resources. We're already seeing that with the inability to purchase cards at retail. The hobby doesn't grow when Joe Sixpack or a 12 year old kid can't buy a box or pack of cards at Walmart or Target. The hobby needs those people to grow. I'm sorry, but Wall Street and hedge fund involvement is the last thing any hobby needs. Those people destroy everything they touch.

Well said...couldn't agree more. Personally, I'll be thrilled when the words "flipping" and "speculative" are out of the hobby. Between people grading base cards from the junk wax era to retail scalpers making it impossible to find cards, I don't like the current state of the hobby.

Duplicate post.

The only problem I have when it comes to subgrades is that nobody cares about them when buying PSA or SGC cards. Why should subgrades be a showstopper with CSG or BGS cards? Collectors seem to be holding the latter two companies to different standards and I don't think that's fair or right.

I wouldn't worry about this. There's a lot of hype around a certain grading company right now, but at some point, collectors will wake up and realize the condition of the card is what matters, not the slab the card is in. Right now, the only cards I'm buying are CSG or SGC 9.5s and 10s. They sell for 75% less than a PSA 10 and I know I'm getting the same card in better condition. Can't help but think many in the hobby have lost their minds or, at the very least, are acting in a very short sighted manner.

There were people discussing this on Twitter when the first CSG submissions were returned. I like that subgrades are optional, but the aesthetics of the label without subgrades does seem to take a hit.

So height and width are the same across all grading companies, but it sounds like CSG threaded the needle between BGS and PSA when it comes to thickness?

I love buying CSG or SGC 9.5s and 10s for 75% less than a PSA 10 knowing I'm getting the same card in better condition. Can't help but think many in the hobby have lost their minds or, at the very least, are acting in a very short sighted manner.