CGC Trading Cards and CSG Will Combine to Become the World’s Second-largest Card Grading Service 2 2

[CGCRyan]

CGC Cards will instantly be one of the biggest players in the card market, providing expert and impartial certification for virtually all cards — including TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards — under the renowned CGC brand.

The Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®) is playing to win with a major announcement in the card market. In July, CCG will combine CGC Trading Cards® and Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG®) into CGC Cards™, solidifying its position as one of the world’s largest and most prominent card grading services. Grading virtually all TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards, CGC Cards will also feature a number of collector-friendly upgrades, including non-member submissions, a Gem Mint 10 grade and a sleek new label that blends seamlessly with cards.

 

 

CGC Cards leverages the strength of the renowned Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) brand, which was established in 2000 and has become the undisputed leader in pop culture collectibles grading, with more than 10 million collectibles certified. The CCG companies, which have graded more than 75 million collectibles since 1987, also include the world’s largest grading services for coins, paper money and stamps. CGC Cards will build upon this legacy of success.

 

 

The merger of CGC Trading Cards and CSG is the culmination of exhaustive market research, including customer and non-customer surveys, dozens of focus groups and thoughtful analysis of the card grading business. The new brand combines the best aspects of both CGC Trading Cards and CSG, including world-class expertise, advanced technology, the industry’s best holder and the strongest guarantees, while addressing many of the most-requested enhancements from the collecting community.

“The card market needs strong competition because competition makes us better, and that's good for collectors and dealers,” says Steven R. Eichenbaum, CEO of CCG. “CGC Cards will win by providing best-in-class grading services with fast turnaround times, affordable prices and strong prices realized.”

 

 

The best grading service for all your cards

Among the many benefits that collectors will enjoy with CGC Cards are no paid membership requirement to submit, a simplified submission process, affordable prices, a market-friendly Gem Mint 10 grading scale and an upgraded label. 

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[Matt Tryg]

And why didn't the company start with this philosophy in the beginning?  3rd new label in 2 years, any of us who were encouraged by your offering as an alternative to PSA were hoodwinked.  There will be so much confusion for new collectors and set builders around green label CSG, black label CSG, and now black label CGC.  Probably going to ask for ANOTHER fee to change the label to the new one.

You had a chance to be a significant player in the market, but have lost that opportunity and credibility by making continual changes and mis-steps.

[Matt Tryg]

Nice, so the green label that I paid a reholder fee once now need to pay another $5 to get this label.  Embarrassing......

[Junk Wax Addict]

On 6/20/2023 at 11:15 AM, Matt Tryg said:

Nice, so the green label that I paid a reholder fee once now need to pay another $5 to get this label.  Embarrassing......

I feel the same way!  I paid to relabel many cards from the old green label to the current label.  Now I have around 900 CSG slabs and there is no way to justify spending almost $5k to relabel all of my cards.  You try to support an up and comer and promote competition and where has that gotten me?

[Todd Carte]

I've had over 5000 cards graded with the CSG slab. Now that name is gone and I certainly can't afford to reslab them all. Quite a let down.

[1980sMoshPit]

Would also support that ANY people around the last two rounds of making the decisions on labels are currently 6 feet under. heh.   Possibly those woke folks are gone now.  double heh.  Hoping this is it, and the folks now involved actually serve a purpose in this world. 

This had to be. Never understood the CGC CSG different company things.  Freakish.   This combined thing should end all the wackiness, so fully support it. Glorious. 

I got the deal going on too with the slabs, but not as far as above.  Two 102 card sets I'll get reholdered at what looks like an expense of 1100 or whatever.    OK.  

The deal with GEM MINT 9.5 becoming 10, love it.  The ONLY issue is if there is a simple visible flaw, on a card, that is in a new slab, having a Gem Mint 10 grade on it,  the hoards of freaks out there with microAiscanomatics could have a field day attacking things and come up with the CGC = GEM MINT grading thing.  They will. heh.     Soooo,   the CSG 9.5 Gem Mints out there had better be gooooood

 

Love it though.  Final it is hopefully.   That CSG CGC freakish separated thing was more freakish than anything ever as freakish before thee in card grading.   I think it's now unfreakied. 

 

 

 

[Junk Wax Addict]

What, you aren’t going to shell out 25k to have them relabeled and probably 5k in shipping costs???   All kidding aside, I’m most worried about the green labels.  I think the current label is similar enough to the new one, there won’t be too much confusion on those for now.  But certainly over time, as new people get involved in the hobby, they won’t know what CSG was and I am sure it will have an impact on CSG graded card values.

 Maybe I made my decisions for the wrong reasons.  I certainly liked saving money, which is one of the main reasons I came to CSG because their $8 introductory grading fee was too sweet a deal to turn down.  But I still think they have the best slab out there and I was trying to support an up and coming company (in card grading), so we would have more competition.  Now in hind sight, had I went with PSA, sure I would have had more upfront cost, but I would be money ahead already, not to mention that my cards would be worth 1.5x-2x more!  PSA must be laughing their butts off hearing this news knowing this is going to help keep them #1 for even longer.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Junk Wax Addict

[Todd Carte]

CSG.....oops CGC, definitely has the best slabs in the business and it isn't even close, but the constant label changes is an issue. Switching from the hideous green to the current version was a good move even though the green didn't actually look as bad in person as it does in pics. The problem that I see is switching from CSG to CGC in name. It will affect searches and ebay listings and now I'll have 3 completely different labels in my CSG boxes. I'll continue to support CSG and grade cards here exclusively for the speed, the price and the awesome slab, but it stings to know that I've spent a TON of money on slabs that are now obsolete as far as the label is concerned. It kind of reminds me of the Beckett BGS and BVG labels with various colors for grade levels. I hated that. I'll probably send in some of my previous 10 Pristine green labels to get the new fancy gold label, but I can't justify the extra expense for the rest no matter how badly I would like for all of my slabs to be the same. I've already done that once going from green to black to bump 9.5s to 10s. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, I'm still probably CSG's biggest fan and proponent. I can't say enough about the customer service and slab quality. I'll get used to this change eventually. Now let's get some oversized slabs and some after market autograph authentication. 

[TwoYewts]

Bitter sweet as most of you have already stated. I have been waiting for the day where CSG would start to grade non-sport cards and since CGC was only doing TCGs it was not the answer.  So it looks like I will finally be able to send some non-sport to get graded but at the cost of another label change which will hit the pocket.  Been using CSG exclusively after several disappointing interactions with PSA support and issues with their grading consistency.  Love the CSG holder, the low submission cost, the change to the black label and the consistency that I have received on my submittals. My PC is small potatoes compared to most of you and as most collectors I like to see a uniform look in my collections.  At over 400 slabs that would put me out $2k which is not a cost I wish eat at this time, not to mention the cost that was already paid to move most of my greens to the CSG blacks to get that desired uniform look in my collection.  So definitely disappointed that it appears CSG/CGC is sticking it to us collectors again.  I believe CSG/CGC should take this into consideration as the collectors that have been with them from the beginning are the ones that they are screwing over the most with another relabeling move.  I believe something should be provided to show some sense of gratitude to those collectors that decided to stick with them during the growing pains (I mean besides the multiple relabels this whole "system upgrade" has been annoying at best on how it has been handled and all of the associated glitches that have come out of it).  I also believe the September 30th cutoff for $5 reholdering needs to be extended further as even though we are told this combination will happen mid July if the previous system upgrade schedule showed anything is that modifications/changes do not go as planned.

So, bittersweet....I'll finally get some non-sport collections graded but it won't be right away since my funds will be spent having to relabel some sets (ugh).

[THA Card Story]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:32 AM, Todd Carte said:

CSG.....oops CGC, definitely has the best slabs in the business and it isn't even close, but the constant label changes is an issue. Switching from the hideous green to the current version was a good move even though the green didn't actually look as bad in person as it does in pics. The problem that I see is switching from CSG to CGC in name. It will affect searches and ebay listings and now I'll have 3 completely different labels in my CSG boxes. I'll continue to support CSG and grade cards here exclusively for the speed, the price and the awesome slab, but it stings to know that I've spent a TON of money on slabs that are now obsolete as far as the label is concerned. It kind of reminds me of the Beckett BGS and BVG labels with various colors for grade levels. I hated that. I'll probably send in some of my previous 10 Pristine green labels to get the new fancy gold label, but I can't justify the extra expense for the rest no matter how badly I would like for all of my slabs to be the same. I've already done that once going from green to black to bump 9.5s to 10s. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, I'm still probably CSG's biggest fan and proponent. I can't say enough about the customer service and slab quality. I'll get used to this change eventually. Now let's get some oversized slabs and some after market autograph authentication. 

Just to clarify, you weren't one of the people in the focus groups?  I assumed that CSG (RIP 6/20/2023) would have reached out to their #1 Top Collector in terms of Points and # of slabs in their collection.  You rave about customer service but I just can't reconcile that on your behalf if you weren't brought into the conversation.  Here I was feeling slighted at lowly #41...lol.  It's honestly all good for me but my son Tyrus loved CSG.  To say he is disappointed is an understatement.  First world problems I know...

[Todd Carte]

I was not part of any focus group. I have offered my opinion on several things over the years but no one has ever asked. I do like being #1 in the registry but I really don't think that my opinion more valuable than any other collectors. We all like CSG or we wouldn't be here. I'd like them a lot more if the price per card dropped back under $10  But, to toot my own horn a little, I've been collecting for around 45 years and I have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge about cards and the hobby in general. More specifically. I like errors and variations and I have had some trouble getting CSG to recognize some pretty rare variations and notating them on the slab and in the registry. 

[TwoYewts]

On 6/21/2023 at 1:08 PM, Todd Carte said:

I was not part of any focus group. I have offered my opinion on several things over the years but no one has ever asked. I do like being #1 in the registry but I really don't think that my opinion more valuable than any other collectors. We all like CSG or we wouldn't be here. I'd like them a lot more if the price per card dropped back under $10  But, to toot my own horn a little, I've been collecting for around 45 years and I have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge about cards and the hobby in general. More specifically. I like errors and variations and I have had some trouble getting CSG to recognize some pretty rare variations and notating them on the slab and in the registry. 

I have encountered the same issue. I collect more vintage than modern and variations (and obscure issues) that I would have no problem getting notated/graded with PSA or SGC are not considered by CSG/CGC which has been disappointing. 

[finitefinds]

@CGCRyan Is the black/white CSG Perfect 10 label still available if I send in a green label perfect 10 for reholder in the next week or two?

[CGCRyan]

On 6/21/2023 at 6:32 PM, finitefinds said:

@CGCRyan Is the black/white CSG Perfect 10 label still available if I send in a green label perfect 10 for reholder in the next week or two?

I will check this morning and let you know.

[1980sMoshPit]

And just to be 100% on this,  I can, at this time,  send in stuff for relabeling with the new label,   correct ?   

 

Man, now I gotta type in all those cert numbers one by one again..  I better get to the store for a case of frosty barley pops.   

[CGCRyan]

On 6/23/2023 at 8:46 AM, UncleTed said:

And just to be 100% on this,  I can, at this time,  send in stuff for relabeling with the new label,   correct ?   

 

Man, now I gotta type in all those cert numbers one by one again..  I better get to the store for a case of frosty barley pops.   

Yes, you can now submit cards for reholder into the new CGC Cards label. The $5 reholder special is live on the Online Submission Form.

[CGCRyan]

On 6/21/2023 at 6:32 PM, finitefinds said:

@CGCRyan Is the black/white CSG Perfect 10 label still available if I send in a green label perfect 10 for reholder in the next week or two?

Sorry for the delay. If you want to send in the green label CSG Perfect 10 to reholder it as a current black label CSG Perfect 10 you can. You would just need to write on your packing slip for the reholder that you are requesting the card be reholdered in the black CSG Perfect 10 label. 

Packing slips created on or before July 10 will be eligible for the old labels as long as the package is received by Friday, July 21. If you create the submission after July 11 or your submission is received after July 21, your card would be reholdered in the new CGC Cards Pristine 10 gold label so just make sure you meet the deadlines above.

[northkorea]

On 6/23/2023 at 10:02 AM, CGCRyan said:

Sorry for the delay. If you want to send in the green label CSG Perfect 10 to reholder it as a current black label CSG Perfect 10 you can. You would just need to write on your packing slip for the reholder that you are requesting the card be reholdered in the black CSG Perfect 10 label. 

Packing slips created on or before July 10 will be eligible for the old labels as long as the package is received by Friday, July 21. If you create the submission after July 11 or your submission is received after July 21, your card would be reholdered in the new CGC Cards Pristine 10 gold label so just make sure you meet the deadlines above.

Ryan, to clarify:

Green CSG to Black CSG relabel: $10

Black CSG to Black CGC relabel: $5

Blue CGC to Black CGC relabel: $5

Green CSG to Black CGC relabel: $5?

What is the CGC scale, anyway? Is it basically just swap out perfect with a lesser grade of pristine... which, BTW, CSG got rid of because it was deemed unnecessary and not market acceptable... 15 months ago.

[CGCRyan]

On 6/25/2023 at 5:35 PM, northkorea said:

Ryan, to clarify:

Green CSG to Black CSG relabel: $10

Black CSG to Black CGC relabel: $5

Blue CGC to Black CGC relabel: $5

Green CSG to Black CGC relabel: $5?

What is the CGC scale, anyway? Is it basically just swap out perfect with a lesser grade of pristine... which, BTW, CSG got rid of because it was deemed unnecessary and not market acceptable... 15 months ago.

I was told that all reholders are $5 right now (for cards valued under $10,000) and high value reholders are $15(for cards valued over $10,000).

Grading Scale

Pristine 10

Gem Mint 10

Mint+ 9.5

Mint 9

NM/Mint+ 8.5

NM/Mint 8

NM+ 7.5

NM 7

Ex/NM+ 6.5

Ex/NM 6

Excellent+ 5.5

Excellent 5

VG/Ex+ 4.5

VG/Ex 4

Very Good+ 3.5

Very Good 3

Good+ 2.5

Good 2

Fair 1.5

Poor 1

[CGCRyan]

On 6/21/2023 at 6:32 PM, finitefinds said:

@CGCRyan Is the black/white CSG Perfect 10 label still available if I send in a green label perfect 10 for reholder in the next week or two?

Just make sure when you specify on your packing slip that you want the card to reholder in the black CSG Perfect 10 holder that you are very clear with the instructions. Make it as bold and precise as possible.