Alphabet Soup Of Third-Party Grading Services

PSA, SGC, BGS, SCD, BCCG, AGS, USA, WCC, PGS, FGA, GAI, XYZ. (that last one is just my invention <g>) Although it might as well be another bunch of letters thrown together for the purposes of providing third-party grading.

When I first started this page I was going to do a comprehensive history of the slabbed card. But, after putting in two hours of writing & editing, I realized that I wasn't achieving what I intended for my fellow Frank collectors, which is: Helping you figure out the best service in regards to Frank cards. And more specifically, how to choose a Thomas card inside a slab.

So, here we go...

No service stands above the rest. Each has had some issues surrounding their ability, or lack thereof, to properly handle, grade, and ultimately encapsulate trading cards. I can point to some major fiascoes about the biggies. PSA's "McGwire Switcheroo" incidents and other problematic incidents like those chronicled here reprinting a Baron's Online story , the infamous "Al Rosen/Keith Olbermann 'How In The World Could You Miss This!" mess via SGC, the BGS "Fox Guarding The Henhouse" lingering controversy - and don't get me started on the second and third tier grading services.

Ultimately, if you're going to grade your Frank cards, or purchase graded Frank cards, I suggest going with one these three services: PSA, BGS, or SCD.

I do not recommend Beckett's Collectors Club (BCCC) service as it's basically worthless from an advanced collectibles standpoint. Other than to verify the authenticity of a questionable card, it's a money grab by Beckett Media. So don't get sucked into the low price. Stick with their "premium" service - BGS.

I also no longer recommend SGC as it's slowly moved from being a top-tier service to a second-tier service, due primarily to their frequent problems in validating fraudulent issues.

Okay, some Pros-vs-Cons for each of the services I recommend:

Pros For PSA: Consistency in grades. Fairly trustworthy. Longest surviving service with an overall good reputation. An industry standard accepted by almost every longtime hobbyist and dealer.
Cons Against PSA: If you're sending in a card that is "hot" - there has been some suggestion that some PSA graders might switch out your card for one of their own. This is based on an incident that actually occurred a few years back, and chronicled in the SCD Sports Collector's Weekly Digest. When confronted with the evidence of tampering, PSA suggested that it was ultimately a "you-said vs. we-said" situation, providing no substantive resolution and no in-depth answers as to what happened. However, since Frank has fallen off the 'hot' list, I think you (and I) are safe using them for grading. Long turnaround time for basic service. (8+ Weeks is not unheard of). Other problems exist with PSA's autograph/signature service - you can read more about it here. And finally, the accusation of PSA's wholly owned subsidiary, Superior Sports Auctions being shown grading favoritism for their own cards, tends to temper any accolades that PSA generates.

Pros For BGS: High standards of grading, considered by many as having the "toughest" grading standards. No suggestion of tampering. Four sub-classification grades allows clear understanding of graders viewpoints and remarks. Good resale on secondary market.
Cons Against BGS: Beckett Conspiracy Theory issues. How does the industry's leading price guide analysts separate their functions as "independent" third party graders since, by default, they share the same offices at their price guide employees? The very same employees who have been accused of information manipulation and mismanagement in order to profit themselves, friends, and companies with close relationships with those employees. Have you ever noticed how much internal coverage (Beckett Monthly Guides) their own BGS slabbed cards receive? How often do you see them note the sale of a PSA10? Compare that to how many times you've seen them hype a BGS9.5 or Pristine 10 auction. Impartiality is a lingering doubt among a lot of hobby longtimers. The same reason you don't ask any large company to do it's own accounting. Think Enron or Worldcom when you weigh this factor in your decision-making.

About choosing a good slab.
A term you might hear when choosing an encapsulated card is "cherry picking". It describes the skill of recognizing that cards, having the same grade, by the same service, can show varying differences in quality.

It brings home the message that third-party grading, while done by trained eyes and steady hands, is ultimately a subjective opinion. I recommend looking at several slabs before making a decision. If you're primarily doing this via the internet, ask for a larger scan. If the seller won't comply - walk away.

Another issue you have to be aware of: While most modern slabs enclose a plastic sleeve to prevent movement inside the case, some earlier slabs didn't have this much needed feature. That allowed the card to move inside the holder, causing damage past the point of maintaining the grade. So a card once grading a "9" - after time and improper handling - can now be a "7". Cherry pick the best card you can find.

Collector's Note: Look closely at the card inside the slab. Don't "buy the label" or you might be sorely disappointed.

For another collector's point-of-view check this out.
Interesting - and I want to point out that I wrote out my page prior to bumping into this by sheer accident while researching the SCD Authentic sale.

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