Is Beckett Grading (BGS) now the king of modern card grading? Looking at counts of cards online it sure looks that way.
While Beckett still has a way to go in the apparently recession-proof vintage card market, all indications are that it is dominating the modern card grading market. A simple review of online auctions shows a huge lead in cards graded for BGS which is as close to a market indicator we’re going to get outside of audited financials.
Let’s take a look at the trend by looking at some samples of online quantities of graded cards on eBay. We chose randomly one of the top, if not the top rookie cards for a particular year.
Search Query, Results as of 7/5/11 at 7:00 p.m. pst:
2001 Albert Pujols: BGS items: 162 , PSA items: 95
2003 LeBron James: BGS items: 356, PSA items: 125
2004 Ben Roethlisberger: BGS items: 46 , PSA items: 50
2006 Jay Cutler: BGS items: 78, PSA items: 48
2008 Derrick Rose: BGS items: 207, PSA items: 33
2009 Blake Griffin: BGS items: 150, PSA items: 23
2010 Sam Bradford BGS items: 191, PSA items: 45
2011 Bryce Harper: BGS items: 96, PSA items: 22
With the exception of the 2006 Jay Cutler query, the data is clear. And factor in that PSA numbers also include some PSA/DNA items listed in the card category and it’s an even wider gap between the two.
There are a multitude of reasons behind the trend toward modern grading with BGS. Collectors we polled seemed to be influenced by Beckett’s perception as an authority on trading cards and consistently stated that they “grew up with Beckett.” Brand equity indeed. Moreover, collectors seemed to appreciate the sub-grades and auto grade included on the BGS card label. Others simply stated that the BGS holder was more attractive, seemingly more protective.
Dealers we interviewed said that consistent grading specials for bulk submissions were an incentive to grading with Beckett, that every penny mattered in the modern card market where margins are slimmer. They also consistently said that their modern card buyers preferred BGS graded cards when given a choice.
But they also said something that could be concerning, that Beckett has been ‘softer’ over the past few years, meaning that it was easier to get more valuable 9.5 and 10 grades. This dubious suggestion is corroborated by ebay auctions where sellers tout “old holder” BGS graded cards that have the original BGS label design, a period when BGS was considered the toughest of card grading entities.
What are your thoughts, collectors? Beckett or PSA?
