PSA vs BGS vs CGC: Which Grading Company?

If you've decided a card is worth grading, the next question is who should grade it. PSA, BGS and CGC all slab cards, all assign numeric grades, and all affect resale value differently. They are not interchangeable.

Here's the practical breakdown from someone who buys and sells slabs from all three.

PSA — the liquidity king

PSA grades on a 1–10 scale and is the most recognized name in the hobby, particularly for Pokémon and sports cards. That recognition is the entire value proposition: a PSA 10 is the easiest slab to sell, to the widest pool of buyers, at the most predictable price.

• Best for: Pokémon, vintage cards, anything you plan to resell
• Grade scale: 1–10, with 10 labeled Gem Mint
• Reality check: PSA 10 commands a large premium over PSA 9 — often double or more on modern chase cards. That gap is where the money is made and lost.

BGS — the subgrade specialist

Beckett grades to 10 as well, but breaks the card into four subgrades (centering, corners, edges, surface) printed on the label. That transparency is useful — you can see exactly why a card graded where it did.

BGS is best known for the Black Label: a 10 with four perfect 10 subgrades, which is genuinely rare and carries a significant premium. The BGS 9.5 "Gem Mint" is also a well-respected grade that often sits between a PSA 9 and PSA 10 in value.

• Best for: modern cards where you want subgrade detail, and chasing Black Labels
• Watch for: a BGS 9 tends to sell for less than a PSA 9 on the same card, largely because of buyer expectations rather than grading strictness

CGC — the value play

CGC came from comic grading and has grown quickly in cards. Turnaround times and pricing have historically been competitive, and their slab is well liked. For Pokémon in particular, CGC has built real credibility.

• Best for: bulk submissions, cards where cost per slab matters, non-sports and TCG
• Watch for: resale on CGC slabs generally trails PSA on the same card and grade, so factor that into whether the cheaper fee actually nets you more

So which one?

The uncomfortable truth is that for resale value, the grading company matters almost as much as the grade. If you intend to sell, PSA usually nets the most on Pokémon and vintage, even accounting for higher fees, purely because the buyer pool is deepest.

If you're grading for your own collection and want the most information about your card, BGS subgrades tell you the most. If you're grading a large stack where per-card cost dominates, CGC often makes the math work.

Before you submit anything: three honest cautions

1. Grading doesn't rescue a mediocre card

A card with visible whitening isn't going to come back a 10 because it's in a nicer holder. Grade cards you believe are genuinely excellent; the fee is the same whether it comes back a 10 or a 6.

2. Centering ends more 10s than anything else

Corners and surfaces get all the attention, but off-center printing is the most common ceiling on a grade — and it's baked in from the factory. Check centering front and back before you pay to submit.

3. Never crack a slab to sell it raw

A graded card is almost always worth more in its case than out of it, even at a modest grade. The slab is proof of condition, and proof is what buyers pay for. If someone tells you to crack it, ask why.

Selling slabs to us

We buy graded cards from all three companies. Because slab value depends on the grade, the specific card, and current population, we price them by hand rather than pretending an automated number is trustworthy — you send photos of the front and back of the case, and we email you a real offer.

You can start that on our buylist by choosing "Graded slab" instead of a condition, and the full process is laid out in the buylist guide. If you have a stack of slabs or want a read on whether something is worth submitting in the first place, just ask us — we'd rather give you the straight answer than sell you on a submission.