Introduction to Sports Card Grading
This article will attempt to compare and provide information on a few of the most popular sports card grading companies and the card grading process. For this comparison I am using PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), BGS (Beckett Grading Services), SGC, and GMA Grading.
As of the date of this post PSA and BGS are by far the most popular grading companies among sports card collectors and investors but SGC has been gaining popularity with collectors since their latest label redesign. GMA is the generally the least desirable of the grading companies being compared today.
The Grading Scale
Most card grading companies use a 10-point scale for sports card grading. See the grading scale below that shows how each company defines its grades. These grading companies also use half point grades (ex. PSA 8.5) in certain cases. PSA also uses qualifiers in its grading system. A submitter can opt out of qualifiers when submitting cards. An example of a good time to use a qualifier is a vintage card in perfect condition except for an old stain. The card may be able to get a PSA 8 (ST) grade which shows that the card is stained but otherwise Near Mint-Mint condition.
BGS is currently the only major grading company offering subgrades as an option. The subgrades give a grade for Centering, Edges, Surface, and Corners which help show the collector why the card may have received a certain overall grade. BGS also offers less expensive grading options that do not include subgrades. Beckett Grading Service grades cards from prior to 1981 under the BVG (Beckett Vintage Grading) label.
| Grade | BGS | PSA | SGC | GMA |
| 10 BLACK LABEL | Pristine | – | – | – |
| 10+ GOLD BORDER | – | – | Pristine | – |
| 10 | Pristine | Gem Mint | Gem Mint | Gem Mint |
| 9.5 | Gem Mint | – | Mint+ | – |
| 9 | Mint | Mint | Mint | Mint |
| 8 | NM-MT | NM-MT | NM-MT | NM-MT |
| 7 | Near Mint | NM | NM | NM |
| 6 | EX-MT | EX-MT | EX-MT | EX-NM |
| 5 | Excellent | EX | EX | EX |
| 4 | VG-EX | VG-EX | VG-EX | VG-EX |
| 3 | Very Good | VG | VG | VG |
| 2 | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| 1.5 | – | Fair | – | – |
| 1 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Fair |
The LABEL of a graded card
Each grading company has their own label. Be careful as many lower level grading companies will use a similar name or similar looking label to confuse collectors. The main information provided by the label is what card is graded and the grade of that card. A grade of 10 is considered the best grade and is generally reserved for cards that are practically perfect. The grades go down from there with collectors of new cards rarely interested in cards graded under a 9 (MINT). For collectors of vintage cards lower grades are accepted and are sometimes the only realistic option.
The current labels from each of the four companies in this introduction are shown below. The labels have changed over time. For example, older PSA labels do not have a hologram on the front and older SGC labels have a green border instead of black. When buying a graded card be sure to compare the label with other labels from that company to be sure the card has been graded by the company you expect. Legitimate grading companies will allow you to enter the certification number on the label on their website to confirm the label is real and goes with the correct card.
BGS and SGC have different labels for the rarely obtained highest graded cards. An SGC 100 (old label) or 10 PRISTINE (new label) will have a gold border on the edges of the label. A BGS 10 PRISTINE with all four subgrades as a 10 will have a black label instead of the normal gold or silver. A BGS 9.5 or 10 will have a gold label and an 8.5 or 8.0 will have a silver label. BGS cards graded under an 8 will have a white label.
The WEIGHT of a graded card case
Why does the weight of a graded card matter? The weight can affect shipping costs, storage options, and potentially gives information on the sturdiness of the case. When dealing with 500 or 1000 or more graded cards the difference in weights can add up quickly.
Weight of the graded card from each company:
| Grading company | Weight (in ounces) |
| BGS | 2.525 |
| SGC | 2.355 |
| GMA | 1.695 |
| PSA | 1.475 |
As you can see BGS has the heaviest case at 2.525 ounces followed closely by SGC at 2.355 ounces. The case from PSA is the lightest of them all at only 1.475 ounces and GMA comes in at 1.695 ounces.
The COST of grading a card
The cost of grading your sports cards depends on which company you go with. Grading companies charge more to grade a card if the card is worth more. PSA grading costs increase in a way that a $10,000 card will cost a lot more to grade than a $100 card. Grading companies have varying submission options with different rates, turnaround times, and requirements. Due to the changing fees associated with each grading company I will not be going into their prices in this comparison. For full pricing details see the grading company websites. In general, you can expect to pay somewhere around $10-50 per card plus shipping to and return shipping from the grading company.
How to submit a card for grading
Each grading company will have guidelines for the submission process on its website. The standard method of preparing your cards for shipment to a grading company is to put the card into a penny sleeve and then into a “Card Saver I”. A Card Saver I is a semi-rigid clear case slightly larger than a standard toploader. Some people have difficulty sliding cards into card savers so practice on a non-valuable card first. After your card is in the semi-rigid case use a piece of cardboard on both sides of the Card Saver for protection from bending. If you are submitting multiple cards you put up to 10 card savers in each stack in between the cardboard. Use painters tape or rubber bands to hold the cardboard stack together. If you use rubber bands be sure the cardboard is large and sturdy enough that the rubber bands are not bending the card savers!
Follow the submission and mailing instructions on the grading company website. You will make a list of the cards you are submitting with estimated values on the online submission form. Be sure to stack the cards in the same order they are listed on your submission form. You will print for submission confirmation from the grading company and then ship the cards to the provided address.
Conclusion
If you are buying sports cards to collect, the company you choose to grade your cards is not as important. Make your choice based on the cost to grade, how long the grading process takes, and how much you like the case. Having your card encased by a grading company is a great way to help protect the card long term. On the other hand, if you are buying cards for potential resale value in the future you should go with one of the more respected grading companies. Ultimately, which grading company you choose go with is up to you!