** BGS vs PSA Graded Cards **

[Rare23Air83]

A lot of people are mis-informed or really biased when it comes to graded cards. Some people don't like the idea as a whole as they can't justify paying 5x-10x the value of a raw ungraded card, but no one can deny how big of an impact it has in the card industry and on the value of the card. Afterall, one of the BIGGEST factors of a cards value is the condition of the card.


I am unbiased as I collect both BGS and PSA graded cards, as well as many non-graded cards. I have sent in my cards to both companies in the past as well.


To begin, I personally like graded cards. I see the whole point and why it became and is so big. As a buyer/seller, this makes everything so much easier and hassle free. Especially if you buy/sell on eBay (Biggest Place for buying/selling cards). If someone is buying a BGS 9, then they know it will be a mint condition card. No worries or questions there. Easy buy, easy sell. No returns and no complaints. You can't say that about raw ungraded cards, as both parties can come to a disagreement and problems arise.


It also encapsulates the card, with tamper proof or tamper evident cases. Most are waterproof, and the BGS cases are UV protected as well. In other words, your cards are protected very well and will preserve the card in that state forever or at least for a very very long time. Plus, it just looks so much cooler in graded slabs with labels than a magentic or screw down holder.


Grades greatly affect the value of the card. This can help you or harm you. A GEM MINT PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 bring in premiums. Of course this depends on the card being graded, but this is usually always the case. But on the opposite end, it you get a low grade, it will greatly reduce the value of the card. I've seen Gem Mint cards sell for more than 10 times as much as a non-graded raw card. So if you have a high end card that looks to be in tip top MINT shape, it could be a great invenstment to bump your already expensive card to double or triple the amount, just by getting it authenticated with a high grade for a few bucks.


All in all, graded cards are a great addition to the industry, as it broadened it considerably. It's a whole new category in itself.



Now yes... BGS and PSA have had their fair share of mess ups in the past. But not a single company on this planet has had a 100% perfect delivery of their product or services. Why would BGS and PSA be any different? They are ran by humans, not machines. There's bound to be errors and mistakes with the millions of cards they've graded. It would actually be a bit odd if they never messed up not a single time. But people hear or read 1 or 2 horror stories, and they want to disregard the validity of the grading service as a whole, when 99% of the time, they DO deliver their services very well.



Now that we got that out of the way, let's compare BGS to PSA, as they are the TOP grading companies, hands down.

PSA is no doubt the father of grading. They have the most experience and have been doing it for the longest. PSA cards will sell very easily and very well. You don't really have to think twice about it. They are well established and haven't changed much from the beginning as they had it right the first time. There's no point fixing something that isn't broken. Although now, their grading system incorprated 0.5 increments like BGS recently.


BGS might not have as much experience as PSA under their belt, but they sure get lots of respect. A lot of the times, even more than PSA. Their cases are very nice and alot thicker/sturdier than PSA's, and the sub-grading system puts their graded cards in a whole new level. It's insane how even the sub-grades can greatly affect the value of a card. For example, a GEM MINT BGS 9.5 with all four 9.5 sub-grades for Centering, Corners, Edges, and Surface command more value and demand compared to the same GEM MINT BGS 9.5 with three 9.5's and one 9. And if it has 10's in there, it will be even more. Sub-grades distinguish graded cards to an even finer aspect. This is probably BGS' biggest advantage over PSA and other grading companies. It let's everyone know why it got the grades it did.

Collectors are discouraged and confused when they see PSA 10's and 9's with off centering or fuzzy corners. That's probably because the edge or surface of the card was very high and compensated the overall grade to still come out to a 9 or 10. At least BGS is very clear about it.


Grading Difficulty:

You'll probably hear from people that BGS grades harder than PSA. And some will argue that PSA grades harder. There's no right or wrong answer here. I have seen both ways and they're about even. I have seen PSA 9's being cross-graded to a BGS 9.5 before. And I've seen BGS 9's come back a PSA 10. It goes both ways and they're both tough graders. BGS MIGHT be ever so slightly tougher when it comes to grading, but PSA is right there with them.


Slabs/Cases:

BGS cases are alot thicker and sturdier than PSA cases. It also has sleeves inside the case so the cards don't move around. They have White, Silver and Gold labels which look much nicer than the paper ones PSA uses.

However, PSA's label is much easier to read as they have a much bigger font. And although the case may be thinner, it actually makes the card look better as the outside borders are frosted so the person who is looking at it notices the card more. BGS is clear all the way through and can distract you from whatever is behind it. The sleeves in the BGS case also takes a bit away from the vibrant colors of the card. For example, a Refractor in a PSA case looks so much nicer and shinier than the same card in a BGS case. This is probably because there is alot more plastic between you and the card in the BGS case. I actually enjoy the look of the card in the PSA cases because of this fact alone. Plus it's alot easier to store and stack away as its a lot thinner. But one can't deny how attractive the BGS cases are.

The cards in PSA slabs can move around a bit. Not drastically but if the card is thin enough, it can move around. But it's nothing to the point where the card inside can be damaged. The 4 sides with the corners being open, and with that little room to move around... hardly anything will happen to the card inside. It's safe to say your card will stay the grade it received no matter how much you shook the case around.


Secondary Market Value:

I have heard people say a GEM MINT BGS 9.5 will bring in a bit more $$$ than a GEM MINT PSA 10 will. I've been buying and selling cards for over 20 years and honestly... it's all about the same. I've seen it go both ways. I actually know lots of people who would prefer to have that perfect number 10 on the label with PSA as opposed to a 9.5 with BGS, even if they're both considered GEM MINT. But there are lots of people who would prefer to have a BGS 9.5 over a PSA 10 also, so really, it's just personal preference. Nothing is set in stone. GEM MINT is GEM MINT. BGS tends to bring slightly higher prices on eBay, but not always. Again, I have seen PSA 10's bringing in more money.



Lots of people will say that PSA is better to get your Vintage cards graded (Pre 1980's), and BGS is better for modern cards (1980's and up). This is true to a certain extent. PSA has much more experience grading vintage cards, so vintage collectors know and want PSA graded cards. BGS is a tough modern day grader so if it returns with a high grade, you know its an immaculate card. BGS also has a BVG which is devoted to grading Vintage cards. But it still hasn't gotten the rep that PSA has with vintage and probably never will.


Now, a company that grades cards that lists their own prices can seem shady or unsettling to some. But I highly doubt Beckett would jeapardize their entire company as a price guide AND "the best grader" by doing any shady activity to alter prices or grades. Especially when both departments are doing so well. Beckett is the single most used price guide. If they for whatever reason made collectors around the world feel they were doing something wrong... they'd lose most of the market and most likely go bankrupt. The risk is too high to even try anything remotely shady. So the fact that the same company is listing prices and grading cards should not be a big enough factor to say PSA is better than BGS. Funny thing is... some people actually feel safer with BGS because they ARE in fact the price listers.



This is quite a long post so I'll wrap it up here, even though there's so much more to touch like registry and population reports. But feel free to add, comment on it. All is welcome!

[Ianril]

This is an excellent post. :)

[Hilfiger1975]

Well done!

[Ianril]

I'm currently looking at a couple of BGS 9.5's that I would like to have cross-graded by PSA. It would be worth it if I knew the outcome would be a 10 grade, but I'm afraid that sending in a 9.5 BGS card and stating that my lowest grade I'd accept is a 10 would offend the folks at PSA causing them to reject my grade request. :(

[MacInnisCollector]

Well written and very informative! Thanks!

[bangsportscards]

Very very good article. Thanks for sharing. It flows well. I'd see about featuring this piece in a more mainstream way of some sort. You touched on many interesting and worthwhile points that others will want to know. If I were grading this I'd give it a GEM MINT baby!

Brian

[Rare23Air83]

Thanks guys!

I'm currently looking at a couple of BGS 9.5's that I would like to have cross-graded by PSA. It would be worth it if I knew the outcome would be a 10 grade, but I'm afraid that sending in a 9.5 BGS card and stating that my lowest grade I'd accept is a 10 would offend the folks at PSA causing them to reject my grade request. :(

I would be pretty confident about getting it cross graded from a BGS 9.5 to PSA 10. Like I mentioned earlier, BGS does tend to grade slightly harder than PSA from my experience. If I had a PSA 10 and wanted it cross graded to a BGS 9.5, I would be a little worried... but that's not the case.

I've been converting my PSA 10's to BGS 9.5's recently. After having both for awhile, I would like them to all have the same slabs. I do tend to favor BGS a bit more because I buy and sell a lot, and BGS 9.5's tend to bring a higher premium for modern cards on the secondary market than PSA 10's.

[Ianril]

I would be pretty confident about getting it cross graded from a BGS 9.5 to PSA 10. Like I mentioned earlier, BGS does tend to grade slightly harder than PSA from my experience. If I had a PSA 10 and wanted it cross graded to a BGS 9.5, I would be a little worried... but that's not the case.

I've been converting my PSA 10's to BGS 9.5's recently. After having both for awhile, I would like them to all have the same slabs. I do tend to favor BGS a bit more because I buy and sell a lot, and BGS 9.5's tend to bring a higher premium for modern cards on the secondary market than PSA 10's.

Thanks for the feedback. :)

[kencope]

I would disagree with this completely. I've had quite a few BGS 9.5s that didn't cross to PSA 10s. It's all subjective, but in my opinion Beckett has really loosened their standards lately on grading. PSA is a much tougher grader in my opinion.

Thanks guys!



I would be pretty confident about getting it cross graded from a BGS 9.5 to PSA 10. Like I mentioned earlier, BGS does tend to grade slightly harder than PSA from my experience. If I had a PSA 10 and wanted it cross graded to a BGS 9.5, I would be a little worried... but that's not the case.

I've been converting my PSA 10's to BGS 9.5's recently. After having both for awhile, I would like them to all have the same slabs. I do tend to favor BGS a bit more because I buy and sell a lot, and BGS 9.5's tend to bring a higher premium for modern cards on the secondary market than PSA 10's.

[Ianril]

I would disagree with this completely. I've had quite a few BGS 9.5s that didn't cross to PSA 10s. It's all subjective, but in my opinion Beckett has really loosened their standards lately on grading. PSA is a much tougher grader in my opinion.

Yeah, I figure that different people would have different results. Like you said, it's all subjective.

I'm a fan of PSA solely because that's what my collection started in and plus the 10's don't quite demand the price that a BGS 9.5 or 10 demands. Unlike the OP, I'm a buyer and not a seller, so lower cost is a bonus for me. :D