The acrylic scratching you see on a lot of the slabs can be attributed to the quality of the slabs coming from the factory. The acrylic goes through a lot of polishing and if it’s not a consistent process you will get uneven marking on the surface. The more polishing there needs to be on a slab the more it costs so it doesn’t surprise me that some aren’t great. Great video my friend. One of the best you’ve done!
Coming into this video that’s what I assumed this was and was excited about it…. I’m really hoping we see a lot of that in the future because I think that would be the most compelling content when it comes to graded cards.
Not to be critical here, but i think someone has to think "why am i grading this card" ? What is the motivation? Do i plan to resell it? How long am i holding it? I think those questions should be answered prior to choosing a grading co. Is there a market to resell on? If there is not, then now you have illiquid slabs. If you plan to someday sell a card, it's key to think about these above metrics, lest you get stuck with slabs that sell for near 0 premium. Graded multipliers and market's are something that one must understand prior to sending cards for grading. I always keep an open mind about grading companies (even new ones), but i am not in denial that a Scg slab will not sell at the same premium as a bgs slab (for flesh and blood or MTG). I just think it should be added to the vid that the folks grading should have a clear goal in mind and check market sizes if they intend to resell. Value vs Encasement vs user experience vs "will i ever resell these"? etc. Thanks for your time put into this video Louie, was actually an interesting watch - JC
Some good things here. To reply tho. a) this only applies if your sole reason for grading is financial. I’m grading my cards to hold forever. I want them to be protected and authenticated and display well. 2) the old guard is gonna have to give up a bit here. 2020 proved the market needs a 3rd company to hold pressure and over time that third companies values will rise. If we just stay the same all the time as a market, it hurts the product in the long run. 3) I feel like I addressed the financial side at the end of the video. Again I think too much attention to financials is given, when so many claim to be in this for the long haul.
@@KitchenTableTCG Yes, i agree and im glad you actually made the video as i agree it needs attention. For sure there is room for other companies, but i think for now, it's yet to be "discovered", no market has been established yet. As far as encapsulation, one still needs to think about the long game if you plan to sell 10y down the road today which slab would get you the most value. Today that would be BGS, in 10y could that be different, absolutely. PSA, doesn't have subs but has a small subset of collectors, BGS has the highest market share as of today. Concur that we need a 3rd option. Right now makes 0 sense to send to BGS at 250 a card. Especially because i want to grade TOA and MON, it'd make no sense, i'd love if a 3rd was in the market for those newer sets, OR, if bgs updated their business model (unlikely as of late). Also agree with you about "stuff" inside the case, its nasty as hell to discover that stuff, and ruins valuations as one cant 1000% tell is that a nick on the card? Is it on the case? is it not a nick and is just "matter" of unknown material... companies really are screwing this element up. Truth be told i'm a long hauler, but will i take profit along the way like a responsible person (yes, if i have doubles or triples). Could even see a day where there is leverage against high end collections allowed... which is intriguing for me so as to not sell the underlying asset and create a tax event. I think without a 3rd doing real damage to BGS and PSA market share we will see very little change in their models. So a 3rd i think is a net positive if we get that. Keep on keeping on, i liked the water test as well -JC
Thank you for sacrificing your cards and funds for this. I also collect soccer and SGC for modern soccer has been becoming more popular and SGC is preferred for most vintage baseball. I think this was a very fair take on the companies, as they all have flaws but overall I genuinely agree and like SGC the best but for higher end cards your wanting to sell, PSA/BGS crossovers make sense.
I would be seriously pissed off if psa sent me such a scratched up slab. it looked like an inch wide band of scratching on the front centre. Good video man thanks
Nice review. I am glad to see SGC on top, as most of my graded cards are from them and PSA. I am loving their black tuxedo slabs and they look sleek on my display counter. Keep up the great work.
Really appreciate this. I've been slowly trying different grading companies myself, but have largely been basing my decision on cost ... (e.g. "that's too cheap to be good"... or "that's more expensive then i'm willing to spend"). Thanks!!
I liked your takes on who to grade with. I like the CGC slab but wish they used a different label instead of copying what they do with comics. BGS has nice slabs and the added card sleeve inside is a nice touch. As a collector, I personally like SGC slabs and their turnaround time. If PSA goes back to normal pricing they have a set registry feature that seems intriguing/cool. I wonder if other companies go that route at some point. I have some ideas of sets I'd like to have in a slab like WTR or for MTG Ravnica Allegiance since it was the first set that released when I first got into MTG. It most likely isn't going to be valuable, but would be cool to have as a reminder of those early days of getting back into the TCG hobby. Also, you can sell those slabs now with the caveat they are "water tested pop 1" :) Good video as always and thanks for documenting all this.
Nice vid! glad to see there are new companies out there to give the big boys some competition. In particular BGS really needs to update their website as it has the look and functionality of the 90's. I submitted some FaB cards to them last year and I filled out a paper submission form bc I was told that others had been burnt using the web-interface. I know the company has been around for a long time, but they need to pick up their game.
Thank you for running the experiment! My opinions: PSA auto-out due to no sub-grades (except Pokemon). PCG Auto-out due to too conservative surface grading and not waterproof. BGS auto-out primarily due to current pricing and secondarily due to terrible website for both submitting and all other use. I don't know much about SGC, but am intrigued an for me would be second place. 1st place CGC as they are reputable for 20 years grading comics, fair price, fast and accurate turnaround, second place QR code features, sub-grading, etc. If I am submitting my raw cards, they are going to CGC or maybe SGC. If I am buying, I will take these two as well as BGS.
I could tell that you put a lot of effort and time into this! I've never sent a card into grading before, but listening to people talk about the experience is interesting occasionally. The water test at the end was super fascinating!
Great video! Most TH-camrs fixate on PSA because of a certain reputation, but there are many interesting and much more professional companies like CGC.
Glad to know it's not just me with PCG. My cards were delivered a week ago according to USPS tracking and they're still showing "receiving" on the tracker and I'm starting to get paranoid.
Great vid. As you stated. I get why bgs and PSA wield the power they do, but they’ve let it go to their heads. Bgs straight up just ain’t care about their customers. I’m glad to see these new comers. Hopefully they can start to gain more traction in these new tcg worlds
Grading is kind of joke currently. You can send the same card in multiple times and get a different grade each time. Plus the counterfit slabs making the rounds.
Yeah I talk about this a bit in the podcast this week (Friday). It compares very very well to my bgs 9.5 shiyana. I’d say it’s a better card. This is a bubble for sure. I think a 9.5 was probably more healthy though.
With any Grading Company you have too Pay more the higher value of the cards.. If you have some high value cards it's going too cost very much!! correct!?
Maybe in the future. They didn’t have a history or reputation that I felt was on par with these companies. (PCG being the exception, but backed by CFB put them over that edge for me.)
@@KitchenTableTCG so update on ace grading I've watched a few more reviews and would like to change my opinion on this grader to a 👎 I do like there card art colour matching option though
For all cards you will make more money with psa and bgs. Not just Pokémon or mtg. Everything. Don’t like the bias when it’s facts. Maybe things change ( most likely for modern) in the future bust most likely not. Collectors historically will go for the grading company they have most of their collection in. Your xyz company will never be worth as much as a comparable psa and bgs slab.
![Which Grading Company is Best? | PSA BGS SGC CSG TAG HGA | [ E 302 ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D_nuefTSfCI/mqdefault.jpg)
Here is the full raw footage of the slabs as mentioned.
Raw Footage from 5 Grading Companies
th-cam.com/video/mwsZWK9AJtc/w-d-xo.html
The acrylic scratching you see on a lot of the slabs can be attributed to the quality of the slabs coming from the factory. The acrylic goes through a lot of polishing and if it’s not a consistent process you will get uneven marking on the surface. The more polishing there needs to be on a slab the more it costs so it doesn’t surprise me that some aren’t great. Great video my friend. One of the best you’ve done!
Could also crack them now and send to different graders to compare grades given by different companies
Coming into this video that’s what I assumed this was and was excited about it…. I’m really hoping we see a lot of that in the future because I think that would be the most compelling content when it comes to graded cards.
Not to be critical here, but i think someone has to think "why am i grading this card" ? What is the motivation? Do i plan to resell it? How long am i holding it? I think those questions should be answered prior to choosing a grading co. Is there a market to resell on? If there is not, then now you have illiquid slabs. If you plan to someday sell a card, it's key to think about these above metrics, lest you get stuck with slabs that sell for near 0 premium. Graded multipliers and market's are something that one must understand prior to sending cards for grading. I always keep an open mind about grading companies (even new ones), but i am not in denial that a Scg slab will not sell at the same premium as a bgs slab (for flesh and blood or MTG). I just think it should be added to the vid that the folks grading should have a clear goal in mind and check market sizes if they intend to resell. Value vs Encasement vs user experience vs "will i ever resell these"? etc. Thanks for your time put into this video Louie, was actually an interesting watch - JC
Some good things here.
To reply tho.
a) this only applies if your sole reason for grading is financial. I’m grading my cards to hold forever. I want them to be protected and authenticated and display well.
2) the old guard is gonna have to give up a bit here. 2020 proved the market needs a 3rd company to hold pressure and over time that third companies values will rise. If we just stay the same all the time as a market, it hurts the product in the long run.
3) I feel like I addressed the financial side at the end of the video. Again I think too much attention to financials is given, when so many claim to be in this for the long haul.
@@KitchenTableTCG Yes, i agree and im glad you actually made the video as i agree it needs attention. For sure there is room for other companies, but i think for now, it's yet to be "discovered", no market has been established yet. As far as encapsulation, one still needs to think about the long game if you plan to sell 10y down the road today which slab would get you the most value. Today that would be BGS, in 10y could that be different, absolutely. PSA, doesn't have subs but has a small subset of collectors, BGS has the highest market share as of today. Concur that we need a 3rd option. Right now makes 0 sense to send to BGS at 250 a card. Especially because i want to grade TOA and MON, it'd make no sense, i'd love if a 3rd was in the market for those newer sets, OR, if bgs updated their business model (unlikely as of late). Also agree with you about "stuff" inside the case, its nasty as hell to discover that stuff, and ruins valuations as one cant 1000% tell is that a nick on the card? Is it on the case? is it not a nick and is just "matter" of unknown material... companies really are screwing this element up. Truth be told i'm a long hauler, but will i take profit along the way like a responsible person (yes, if i have doubles or triples). Could even see a day where there is leverage against high end collections allowed... which is intriguing for me so as to not sell the underlying asset and create a tax event. I think without a 3rd doing real damage to BGS and PSA market share we will see very little change in their models. So a 3rd i think is a net positive if we get that. Keep on keeping on, i liked the water test as well -JC
@@jamesoncurry5224 I'm thinking MON and ToA gotta go to CGC or SGC if impatient (like me) to wait for BGS to return to Earth
Thank you for sacrificing your cards and funds for this. I also collect soccer and SGC for modern soccer has been becoming more popular and SGC is preferred for most vintage baseball. I think this was a very fair take on the companies, as they all have flaws but overall I genuinely agree and like SGC the best but for higher end cards your wanting to sell, PSA/BGS crossovers make sense.
I'm glad you dipped them into water. I always wondered about that.
The first ten seconds of the video are just a BIT stress-inducing. O.O
Flood test was a great idea, thanks for doing this comparison for us!
I would be seriously pissed off if psa sent me such a scratched up slab. it looked like an inch wide band of scratching on the front centre. Good video man thanks
Nice review. I am glad to see SGC on top, as most of my graded cards are from them and PSA. I am loving their black tuxedo slabs and they look sleek on my display counter. Keep up the great work.
Fantastic video, man! Amongst a litany of great videos you've made, this HAS to be one of the best!
Fantastic idea for a video! Very helpful for people looking to grade.
Really appreciate this. I've been slowly trying different grading companies myself, but have largely been basing my decision on cost ... (e.g. "that's too cheap to be good"... or "that's more expensive then i'm willing to spend"). Thanks!!
You can really tell with SGC having the cards off centre in the slab… The black makes it stand out like crazy…
Awesome video! 🔥
I liked your takes on who to grade with. I like the CGC slab but wish they used a different label instead of copying what they do with comics. BGS has nice slabs and the added card sleeve inside is a nice touch.
As a collector, I personally like SGC slabs and their turnaround time. If PSA goes back to normal pricing they have a set registry feature that seems intriguing/cool. I wonder if other companies go that route at some point. I have some ideas of sets I'd like to have in a slab like WTR or for MTG Ravnica Allegiance since it was the first set that released when I first got into MTG. It most likely isn't going to be valuable, but would be cool to have as a reminder of those early days of getting back into the TCG hobby.
Also, you can sell those slabs now with the caveat they are "water tested pop 1" :) Good video as always and thanks for documenting all this.
Nice vid! glad to see there are new companies out there to give the big boys some competition. In particular BGS really needs to update their website as it has the look and
functionality of the 90's. I submitted some FaB cards to them last year and I filled out a paper submission form bc I was told that others had been burnt using the web-interface. I know the company has been around for a long time, but they need to pick up their game.
Thank you for running the experiment! My opinions: PSA auto-out due to no sub-grades (except Pokemon). PCG Auto-out due to too conservative surface grading and not waterproof. BGS auto-out primarily due to current pricing and secondarily due to terrible website for both submitting and all other use. I don't know much about SGC, but am intrigued an for me would be second place. 1st place CGC as they are reputable for 20 years grading comics, fair price, fast and accurate turnaround, second place QR code features, sub-grading, etc. If I am submitting my raw cards, they are going to CGC or maybe SGC. If I am buying, I will take these two as well as BGS.
Excellent video, this is more and more becoming an important subject for the future…
I could tell that you put a lot of effort and time into this! I've never sent a card into grading before, but listening to people talk about the experience is interesting occasionally. The water test at the end was super fascinating!
Thanks for doing this!
Haven’t had anything graded before - but this is very insightful!
This is a really great video. There is a lot of interesting information here. Thanks for putting in the time to put all of this together!
Great video! Most TH-camrs fixate on PSA because of a certain reputation, but there are many interesting and much more professional companies like CGC.
You are 100% correct about the BGS website.
Glad to know it's not just me with PCG. My cards were delivered a week ago according to USPS tracking and they're still showing "receiving" on the tracker and I'm starting to get paranoid.
slab doubles! very good video Louie!
I've never heard of SGC, but that black back is really nice.
Great vid. As you stated. I get why bgs and PSA wield the power they do, but they’ve let it go to their heads. Bgs straight up just ain’t care about their customers. I’m glad to see these new comers. Hopefully they can start to gain more traction in these new tcg worlds
Great content! This is such a useful 'tutorial' or walk through of grading.
I get that people like CGC because they have a reputation grading comic books. But like that case so ugly tho lol
Great analysis! I love the feel of CGC slabs.
Great analysis. Thanks for doing it!
Sweet video. That water test was scary after all that money you spent 😅.
Amazing video, thanks for the effort!
I was going to try pcg. Now not so sure. Micro holes due to manufacturing? Surface 7.5?
i like this video a latte! nxt series do hga too :)
Grading is kind of joke currently. You can send the same card in multiple times and get a different grade each time. Plus the counterfit slabs making the rounds.
Nice and useful video! Good work! 👍🏻
very interesting, thx Louie!
Nice analysis. How about the campfire burn test next? Heh.
Great video! Learned a lot.
When can I slab my NFTs?
Always do water test first and send back if wet.
Good video👍👏
Great video! 👏👏👏
solid video
Oh snap, I need a CGC KTTCG Pedigreed card!
What service did you use for each one?
Well done Louie!
How did SGC grade that a 10 with that mark on the back corner? I understand a 9.5 but a 10 is suppose to be perfect for that grading company right?
Yeah I talk about this a bit in the podcast this week (Friday). It compares very very well to my bgs 9.5 shiyana. I’d say it’s a better card. This is a bubble for sure. I think a 9.5 was probably more healthy though.
Was the water test done before you ranked the grading companies? If so did the water test factor into your rankings?
It was done after the rankings of my companies.
With any Grading Company you have too Pay more the higher value of the cards.. If you have some high value cards it's going too cost very much!! correct!?
Thanks for the info! Really helpful! I know for metazoo DSG is another grading company I hear about. Why did you not choose this one for your test?
Maybe in the future. They didn’t have a history or reputation that I felt was on par with these companies. (PCG being the exception, but backed by CFB put them over that edge for me.)
@@KitchenTableTCG Got it! Makes a lot of sense! Really appreciate your thoughts on this and other topics!
Also anyone who has scratches on your graded case i use meguires scratchx to clean them out
What are your thoughts on ace grading? I've watched TH-cam vedios of there slab designs looks 👍
Ive never heard of them!
@@KitchenTableTCG look them up I think there uk based
@@KitchenTableTCG so update on ace grading I've watched a few more reviews and would like to change my opinion on this grader to a 👎 I do like there card art colour matching option though
Petition to make SGC the preferred grading company for flesh and blood cards?
Oh.. 10 slabs.. must be pve!
awesome vid!
Now crack the slabs open and send them to the other companies to see how else they might grade them?
For all cards you will make more money with psa and bgs. Not just Pokémon or mtg. Everything. Don’t like the bias when it’s facts.
Maybe things change ( most likely for modern) in the future bust most likely not.
Collectors historically will go for the grading company they have most of their collection in.
Your xyz company will never be worth as much as a comparable psa and bgs slab.
Loved everything else in the video 💕
You madman!
I'm 31 years old and never once got a package stolen in my life. It gets mentioned a lot in this video though, is that a US thing?
Overrated. RAW dog all the way.💎🙌
Did you get my email?
Hmmm send it again 😂 kitchentabletcg@gmail.com looking forward to it!