The graders it owns
On the Wire
Grading hits a record 3.87 million cards in October as PSA and CGC both set highs
Record month for PSA and CGC. CGC's sports grading is up 159% in a year.
The major graders processed a record 3.87 million cards in October, sports and TCG combined, according to GemRate data reported by Sports Collectors Daily. That is up 20% on September and 48% on October 2025. Beckett is not included; its numbers are expected back in November.
By Cardboard Journal, 3 NovRead our full analysisA grader should grade the card, not charge you for what it's worth
At PSA, the same five-day grade costs $999 or $13,191. Nothing about the service changes. Only the price of the card does.
Nobody can prove PSA is better than anyone
The biggest graders sell certainty, and none has been measured against a common, independent benchmark. Until someone grades the graders, a PSA 10 is a reputation, not a verified standard.
eBay UK will send cards from £250 to PSA for checks, down from £500
More UK card sales now pass through PSA. Only PSA, SGC, CGC, CSG and BGS slabs are on eBay's list.
CGC now takes cards at 20 FYE stores. It has not said what the counter costs.
Easier to hand in cards, not faster: add shipping both ways to CGC's own wait.
CGC posts a record month as the market's last major independent keeps growing
CGC keeps growing as Collectors-owned SGC keeps shrinking
The CGC-to-PSA price gap on modern Pokémon has quietly narrowed
PSA's premium on modern Pokemon has fallen to 5-10% — CGC now costs less than the edge it gives up.