Recent Trends in Graded Cards and Why SGC is Hot!
UPDATED for 2003! ... by Brian Wentz (BMW
Sportscards)
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With the introduction of Sportscard Guarantee Corporation (SGC) into the mainstream grading business several years ago, consumers for the first time were offered a reasonable choice. Prior to the formation of SGC, there was only one legitimate grading company, and as such, there existed a near-monopoly on all "slabbed" or graded baseball and sports cards. If one had Near Mint to Mint or Mint condition sports cards and he had reservations about sending his cards away and trusting a third-party grading service, there were really no alternatives. Predictably, both dealers and customers were often left in an unenviable position. For dealers, this often meant a great deal of blind trust in a single company's grading abilities and fairness if they wanted top dollar for their mint condition cards. For customers, it meant accepting new standards for judging condition based on centering, corners, and a variety of other newly redefined factors, while hoping that the graders were as good at spotting altered cards as was indicated in frequent advertisements. Perhaps then, it was surprising, but not unpredictable that a single grading company held the lion's share of the graded card market for nearly 10 years.
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SGC - Sportscard
Guarantee Corporation based in Parsippany, New Jersey was established
in order to offer a viable alternative to previous grading companies -- one
that is not only catching fire on eBay and the Internet, but is also becoming
the grading company of choice for vintage collectors at major trade shows and
conventions. Longtime hobbyists and dealers first saw this shift in marketshare
from others to SGC at this last year's National Convention
in Chicago Illinois. Where previously there were only PSA graded cards to be
found, several of the hobby's largest and most well-respected dealers in vintage
sports cards began to market and sell SGC graded sports cards. Indeed,
even our own inventory has begun to change to a much greater percentage of SGC
cards to meet the burgeoning demand for their products.
All too often we've heard the complaints: "Company 'A' grades cards more leniently for one dealer than another" or "Company 'B' doesn't handle my cards properly" or "Company 'C' never seems to be able to meet their guaranteed turnaround times for sports card submissions" or even "Company 'D' can never seem to get the right vintage baseball card in the proper holder." Tired of red tape, collectors' clubs, and a shocking lack of vintage expertise, we've seen increasingly dissatisfied groups of customers moving in the same direction -- away from PSA and others and toward SGC. As part of one of the largest collectibles groups in the world, SGC has come to be synonymous with knowledge, stability, impartiality and expediency. In their effort to properly redefine the grading substructure first offered by the early entrants into the business, SGC is fast gaining the reputation for grading cards more strictly, and more precisely. In fact, SGC now offers a 1 to 10 equivalent with 1/2 point increments for all cards they encapsulate. Click here to view the SGC Grading Scale. Now, there's no longer any guesswork as to whether that 1952 Topps PSA 7 Mickey Mantle is really the borderline "8" as an Internet seller might claim. If it is, SGC grades it a 7.5 (86). If not, it's just a 7 -- simple, meaningful, and precise with a greater emphasis placed on offering the consumer a better value rather than a better "snow job" by a seller who probably sees every card he owns as a super-high-end, unbelievable example.
In fact we've seen such a dramatic shift in the market for graded cards that just the other day, after several Internet auctions had ended, we couldn't help but realize that we would much rather own an SGC 88 than a PSA 8. Why? Because customers know that when a card is in an SGC holder, it's graded precisely, strictly, and accurately and to some, it's worth more than the same card in a PSA holder. Not surprisingly, SGC 92s now commonly outsell their counterparts from other companies and generally realize 50% or more than many PSA 8s. The hobby tide for graded cards is clearly turning -- as the sales of SGC-graded cards continue to climb, it's a sure bet that their long-term values will be greater than those of any other grading service!
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NOTABLE
SALES OF SGC-GRADED CARDS!
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 1909-11 E90-1 Jackson SGC 60 - $12,000 |
 1933 DeLong Gehrig SGC 88 - $28,000 |
 1951 Topps Ruth SGC 88 - $10,000 |
 1934 Goudey Gehrig SGC 88 - $18,000 |
 1936 World Wide Dimaggio SGC 80 - $15,000 |
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1887 N172 Old Judge Stephen Brady SGC 84 - $4,000
1948 Bowman #5 Bob Feller - SGC 96 - $2,000 |
BASEBALL - 1950s 1954 Red Man #NL13 Campanella SGC 92 - $1,225
1960 Topps #343 Sandy Koufax - SGC 88- $343
1948 Bowman #72 Carl Braun - SGC 88 - $5,000
1911-12 C55 #25 Odie Cleghorn - SGC 84 - $500 |
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There's
no doubt about it -- SGC graded cards are becoming hotter and hotter
as those who purchase graded cards demand more and more! Whether it's the fear
of being trampled twice by the same rogue elephant, a demand for better service,
or just the realization that they're getting more value for their dollar, customers
have made SGC one of the hottest grading companies in today's hobby!
SGC has also recently added a popular Set
Registry that allows collectors to combine an online registry of their SGC
graded cards and speciality collections with images of each entry. Sign
up now!
Want to see how your vintage cards stack up against others? Have SGC grade and encapsulate your cards and then look them up in the SGC Population Reports.
For more information on their products and services, you can contact SGC
at 973-984-0018 or toll free at 1-800-742-9212. They're also online at www.SGCcard.com.
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