PSA, BGS and SGC compared
Grading. . 1 min read.
A grade is a judgement by a company, not a physical property of the card. Different companies apply different standards, so the same card genuinely can come back with different numbers, and the market prices those numbers differently.
The practical differences
- Scale. All three run to 10, but the increments and the way half grades are used differ.
- Sub-grades. BGS is known for publishing separate marks for centring, corners, edges and surface. That transparency is useful and it also means a weak component is visible to every buyer.
- Slab design. Different cases and label styles, which matters more than it should because collectors have preferences and preferences move prices.
- Reputation by category. Which company commands a premium varies by sport, era and set. It is a market convention, not a ranking.
Which to use
Look at completed sales for your specific card in each company holder and let that decide. That is the only method that survives the fact that the answer differs by card. Everything else is a general impression, and general impressions are what get people the wrong slab for their card.
A higher number from a company the market trusts less is not worth more. Compare sales, not labels.
Why the same card grades differently
The companies weight the four condition components differently, and centring tolerance in particular varies. A card with excellent corners and marginal centring can land differently depending on who assesses it, which is exactly the mechanism explained in what grading does to the price.
Common questions
- Is a BGS 9.5 the same as a PSA 10?
- They are often discussed as comparable, and the market does not always agree. Check the sold comps for your card in both holders rather than assuming equivalence.
The full guide
What grading does to the price
A graded card and a raw card are different products. Here is what the slab is actually buying.