PSA to start grading comics?

[drbanner]

CGC, CGG, 3PG...is PSA next? According to Michael Naiman's market report in the latest CBM, they are. While he doesn't name names as to who's behind it, it doesn't take too much insight to lead me to believe it's the Hughes' brothers.

 

As much as the new kids on the block (3PG, CGG) are interesting conversation pieces, if PSA starts up comic grading with established back issue collectors/dealers behind them, well, that will mean the 1st viable competition for CGC has emerged. We'll see!

[blowout]

BronzeBruce has been aluding to a major player entering the comic grading field for some time now, (to provide some REAL competition for CGC) I wonder if PSA are the ones he heard about.

[Lantern]

I know absolutely nothing about sports cards or the companies that grade them. With that said, would it be a good thing for PSA to start grading comics? Does the card grading aspect of PSA have a good reputaion in the hobby? Do card collectors recognize the accuracy of PSA grading and seek out cards graded by them?

 

[HooDeeDoo]

What's going to happen is the same thing that happened when people saw the money eBay was making - they tried to copy eBay and they all eventually crashed and burned.

 

CGC has both a market lock and a psychological lock on the grading service.

 

All comers should wake up, smell the coffee, relax and pour themselves a cup.

 

The show's over. The monkey died.

 

(I love mixing my metaphors.)

[Elvis]

I dont know, PSA s highly regarded in the card industry. I think that the Ebay comaparison wont fit here. I think if they can parlay their reputation into their comic slabbing and grading they can bring some solid competition to the CGC monopoly. IMHO

[fantastic_four]

The Hughes aren't brothers, are they? I used to assume they were until either Storms or Jaster told me otherwise; they said the Wilsons are brothers but the Hughes aren't. Are they business partners?

 

I hope PSA makes some improvements...CGG is too "me too" right now. The idea of being able to open and close the outer holder is interesting...but if you can't get to the comic on the interior...what's the point of opening the outer case?

[Moriarty]

The Hughes aren't brothers, are they? I used to assume they were until either Storms or Jaster told me otherwise; they said the Wilsons are brothers but the Hughes aren't. Are they business partners?

 

Whereas the Wilsons are brothers, Steve Borock mentioned the Hughes were only business partners at Executive Collectibles, CA.

[drbanner]

Yeah, I guess you guys are right, I remember someone saying they weren't brothers.

 

Anyhow, as far as whether or not they stand a chance for long-term success, their chances are better than the others as they should already have the infrastructure in place to carry it out. Not to mention financial support...

[doyle033]

Yeah, I guess you guys are right, I remember someone saying they weren't brothers.

 

Anyhow, as far as whether or not they stand a chance for long-term success, their chances are better than the others as they should already have the infrastructure in place to carry it out. Not to mention financial support...

As well as reputation... as far as I can find, most PSA graded cards carry as much OR MORE clout both in name and when it comes to getting the big bucks as any one else in the card grading market. truth be told most buyers would rather have PSA graded cards than any other kind. solid rep for hard grading and i think they were the first in the graded card market. cant wait to see what shakes loose.

[joe_collector]

I dont know, PSA s highly regarded in the card industry. I think that the Ebay comaparison wont fit here. I think if they can parlay their reputation into their comic slabbing and grading they can bring some solid competition to the CGC monopoly. IMHO

 

Oh definitely. The PSA name is the big one in sportscards, and although BGS does grade a bit tighter, the prices on PSA stuff is roughly equivalent.

 

If PSA does enter the comic grading business, hires good people and undercuts CGC's prices, then I see no reason why their high-profile name, longevity in the biz, and capital can't be parlayed into a lucrative piece of the graded comic market.

 

Anyone who thinks otherwise has ulterior motives. CGG has a lot of holes and it's fun for people to poke them, but a big name like PSA? Come on...

[garthgantu]

No matter how sterling their reputation may be, "the more the merrier" may not apply to the comics grading/slabbing market. The competition is good from a consumer standpoint on the one hand (pricing and breadth of services may improve), but could have a very negative effect on the other hand: market confusion. That's what sank the collectible sports market, in part (along with 234 different sets of cards issued by 30 different card companies).

[Kevin76]

I have talked to alot of people who collect baseball cards since i used to collect them myself,but grading wasn't around when i was collecting.Anyhow,PSA is NOT the company of choice in the market anymore...it's Beckett. They grade the tightest and list on the back of the label why that card received that grade,I wish CGC would do the same,but i think you can look that up using the serial number on the label,or just call them up.Not too sure if PSA would have all that much of an impact,competition in priceing,yes.I'll still with CGC no matter what other grading company comes out.I don't think your going to see people crack open those 10K slabs from CGC only to have it regraded by some other company...that would be a huge risk. kevin

[joe_collector]

That's what sank the collectible sports market, in part

 

Actually, what sank the graded sportscard market was speculators picking up their belongings and moving onto another "sure-fire hot thing".

 

It had nothing to do with more grading companies, and the additional options, lower prices and faster service actually invigorated the hobby.

 

That said, nothing stays "HOT" forever, and that's a fact many need to understand.

[joe_collector]

I have talked to alot of people who collect baseball cards since i used to collect them myself,but grading wasn't around when i was collecting.Anyhow,PSA is NOT the company of choice in the market anymore...it's Beckett.

 

Thanks for proving my point quite nicely.

 

PSA cards = CGC comics (first to market)

 

BGS = Late-Entering Competitor

[cicamen]

I think Beckett had a little more of an advantage breaking into cards then PSA is going to have breaking into comics. Beckett is to cards like Overstreet is to comics. A lot of people use Beckett for pricing that is why they are so successful. Plus as was stated previously they came up with more innovative features. If Overstreet started slabbing comics and added graders notes maybe they could take a chunk of CGC business.

[Kevin76]

I think Beckett had a little more of an advantage breaking into cards then PSA is going to have breaking into comics. Beckett is to cards like Overstreet is to comics. A lot of people use Beckett for pricing that is why they are so successful. Plus as was stated previously they came up with more innovative features. If Overstreet started slabbing comics and added graders notes maybe they could take a chunk of CGC business.

 

Excatly!

[joe_collector]

I think you guys really underestimate how important grading cost and profit margin are to the non-Hulk 181/ASM 129 Modern, Bronze and even late-Silver market.

 

I have a literal ton of high-grade material that I would love to get slabbed (to keep some, and sell others), that are simply not economically feasible under the CGC pricing structure.

 

These are mostly 1970-74, that do not Guide or sell high enough to take a risk on a 9.2 or even 9.4, yet are priced into the stratosphere by CGC. If I want them back anytime soon, I need to pay $50+ (including discount and plus S&H) per book, or $30+ per and wait a century.

 

There are a ton of these out there, including Starlin Captain Marvel/Strange Tales, MTIO 1-10, MTU 10-20, ASM 130-150, Avengers 110-130, MOKF 15-20, Thor 200-226, Defenders 4-16, Captain America 155-175, etc. that I would love to get slabbed at the Modern rate, but are weeded out due to be 1-3 years too old.

 

If a large, well-known company comes out and can hit an attractive price point for this era, then I guarantee to send in consistent shipments of these books, both for personal collecting and to blow off a few dupes.

 

I know Reynold Jay feels the same way about Moderns, and otherwise would not have given the $8-per grading of CGG a shot. I also have some late-Silver that I may want slabbed (Cap 137-138, 25-cent Giants, etc.) but these are still way too expensive under the CGC price structure.

 

Also, anyone who streamlines the grading based ONLY ON OVERSTREET or WIZARD NM VALUE (as the card companies do) would make it much easier and simpler for people to submit, without having to worry about FMV or determing how to send in 5 Moderns, 5 Express and 5 Standard books, and not get reamed on S&H.

 

If a well-known grading entity made slabbing comics less expensive, faster and easier, then I can't see how this is a "bad thing" for consumers, especially in comparison to the state-run-like Monopoly status that CGC enjoys.

 

*cough* Communists *cough*

[BachelorOfComix]

I have a literal ton of high-grade material that I would love to get slabbed (to keep some, and sell others), that are simply not economically feasible under the CGC pricing structure.

Knowing what you know about the evolution of the graded collectibles market, if you would have slabbed them within the first couple years of CGC's inception, you would have made a ton of money. Now that the crash has occured, however, it is no longer economically feasible because the Bizarro World prices paid for anything slabbed just ain't happening anymore.

[BlackShotzy-migration]

The Hughes' aren't brothers, are they?

 

No. To my knowlegde, one of them is Waterwalker on Ebay.

 

Both William and Robert Hughes have been purchasing agents and employees of Greg Manning Auctions, and most currently, JayParino_the Mint. William Hughes is always given thankful acknowledgement in the Heritage catalog and I believe that Holli Hughes, an employee of Heritage, is his wife.

[drbanner]

I have a literal ton of high-grade material that I would love to get slabbed (to keep some, and sell others), that are simply not economically feasible under the CGC pricing structure.

 

C'mon Joe, you've been "on the verge" of submitting books to CGC since day one of joining these boards, and have constantly raised a variety of excuses for not sending them in. Time to fish or cut bait my friend, but I suspect you simply like to introduce your latest criticism of CGC by saying "I would submit some books, but...(criticize CGC here)." Of course the only reason to submit is to sell them, so if you don't plan on selling them then it's a moot point...so why mention it at all? You've been well aware of CGC since before graded books hit the street (I know this since I was a big visitor to your site before these boards kicked up), so if you did plan to sell, you missed the boat big-time!

 

Also, if you have all these books on the cusp of being worth sending in, then you must also have a big batch that it would currently make sense to submit (like MTU 1-9, earlier Spideys, your multiple hoards of Byrne X-men which you could get graded for a paltry $12 each these days), so what's holding up the program?