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PSA vs BGS Grading - Which Card Grading Should You Use? PSA vs BGS Grading - Which Card Grading Should You Use?

PSA vs BGS Grading - Which Card Grading Should You Use?

Beckett or PSA is almost the eternal question in the hobby. But why would you grade your cards at all? Let's look at that question and then at some of the differences between the main grading companies.
5 minute read

Beckett or PSA is almost the eternal question in the hobby. But why would you grade your cards at all? Let's look at that question and then at some of the differences between the main grading companies. *Full disclosure* Cherry is the exclusive Beckett grading partner for Australia. Once you take a look at BGS vs. other sports card grading companies, you will figure out why!

Why grade your cards?

With card grading, first of all, you're preserving your card so you know it's going to be safe from wear and tear. The next thing that happens when you grade your card is its authenticated - you know that your card is the genuine article so no one can complain that you sold them a fake card. This authentication that you get with sports card grading is probably the major reason people do it because it makes for a smooth sale process when you decide to sell your card down the road.

Beckett and PSA authentication are both widely accepted in the hobby so it largely comes down to aesthetics and the value added by the grading where people start to differ.

The Beckett Grading System

Beckett Grading Services, BGS, have been in the card grading market for decades. Therefore, BGS vs. other grading companies is a better sports card grading company to consider.

BGS cards with their grading service and ranks sell at the best prices. The grading service fee starts from $30 and goes as high as you want. Depending on how detailed you want your sports card grading to be, the fee will be higher. But once again, BGS vs what other companies are charging for their grading service is very nominal.

BGS graded cards are ranked among the top graded cards in the sports cards category. You can compare BGS vs. other sports card grading companies before you decide that BGS is the best grading company for getting your cards graded. 

More detail in Beckett grades

Beckett provides sub-grades for 4 aspects of your card;

Corners - are the corners sharp or dinged?

Surface - imperfections or scratches on the surface of the card.

Edges - how well the card was cut is important here.

Centring - how well is the image centred on the card stock?

Each of these will get a grade when using BGS. Then an overall grade is awarded.

A card with no imperfections obviously receives a higher grade on the grading scale but is also labelled gem mint, which means it’s in perfect condition.

How PSA Grades Cards

PSA,or Professional Sports Authenticator, keeps it simple with just one number and the grading standard, Mint, Near Mint, etc. PSA grading also labels sports cards in perfect physical condition as gem mint. The different labels are shown below.

beckett bgs vs psa grading sports cards

Beckett and PSA label comparison

Cards graded by PSA grading are recognized worldwide. The PSA grading fees range from $22 per card to $10,000. The exact amount depends on the level of PSA grading you’re looking for. For detailed sub grades, you’ll have to pay higher.

The biggest difference between BGS vs. PSA grading scale is that the latter ranges from 1-10 with no half points.

 Which Graded Cards Are Worthwhile? 

The idea behind graded cards and sports card grading is to guarantee their authenticity and condition. Graded cards are guaranteed to have a higher market value. So logically, any card that you think is in a great 10/10 condition, is authentic and will sell for a higher price after PSA grading or BGS grading. That’s a card that needs to try its luck with the grading services.

Vintage cards are always a great bet. If you choose the right grading service for your vintage cards, you’re likely to receive a higher card grading and also sub grades. PSA vs. BGS is an important decision here. The PSA grading scale is very different from the BGS grading.

It always makes sense to compare BGS vs. other grading companies to find a grading company that will offer the best sub grades for your sports cards. Also, make sure to compare BGS vs PSA grading to find out which one is more likely to grade your sports cards better.

While a gem mint sports card has the highest value in the sports card market, lower sub grades also guarantee long-term value and thousands of extra dollars. Regardless of which card grading service you use, even a half point on the grading scale adds to the selling value. 

 Aftermarket value

Where the two companies can differ is in the value added by the grade your card receives. Nowhere is this more evident than with the BGS 10 Black Label or 'Pristine' grade with a black label Charizard fetching over $10k USD last year. If you think your card is close to pristine, you should definitely consider BGS. We were fortunate enough to attain this grade for a customer's Charizard in 2019.

Who do you grade with? BGS or PSA?

Are you ready to start grading? You can grade with us!

Watch a clip from one of our group breaks where Grayson discusses why we grade with BGS.

 

 

 

Best Card Grading Services at Cherry Collectables

PSA vs. BGS is a decision you need to make on your own. The bottom line is that a graded sports card is what you need. BGS grading is easier. You also have Cherry Collectables offering authentic Beckett grading prices in a competitive card grading market. We will help you get your graded sports card through the card grading system to achieve decent sub grades.

The biggest comparison of sports card grading when it comes to BGS vs. PSA grading is that the grading is slightly limited with PSA. Expecting a higher card grading with PSA grading is difficult. Besides, the graded cards are given a general category such as gem mint, near mint, etc. Card grading done by Beckett grading services is more detailed with its half point grading scale. You still get the labels such as gem mint so this grading company does offer a higher chance of more valuable card grading.

Your sports cards, whether they are rookie cards or vintage cards will get the best grading service in Australia. For Beckett vintage grading or overall Beckett grading services for sports cards, get in touch with Cherry Collectables to avail the best sports card grading services!

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