You have to compare base prices right now, as I’m sure PSA will offer discount and subscriber deals out of the gate. Do they offer that for their cards?
So as of now PSA is $1 less than CGC. At conventions that’ll be their big push. I think they have to come in at or slightly below CGC otherwise they look too much like PGX if their too low.
Too early to say CGC is cheaper. PSA hasn’t started pushing yet.
According to Swagglehaus who did a video on the new PSA pricing, $29.99 is the base price for a modern comic. The $25.99 is the introductory price for “a limited” time for their launch.
I don’t think PSA is looking to take over the #1 spot for grading comics. To me, this is more of a reaction to CGC entering the card market. So maybe more strategic than aspirational.
If PSA slabs are selling for more than CGC slabs after the initial hype fades, I’ll consider sending them some books.
You could be right and we won’t know what PSA is thinking. My personal take on this is that there’s no way that PSA has devoted all this time and money trying to enter the market without trying to make an attempt at being the market leader in comic grading as well. We know from influencers that this has been going on for years.
Although I have no doubts that PSA could be petty from
CGC entering the card market, I believe their endgame is to overtake the comic grading market because they see an opening. When I was a kid in the 90s, I was collecting baseball and hockey cards and have never heard or seen PSA. At that time Beckett was the market leader. It’s now PSA that is the market leader for all sports cards and TCG card grading. They want to do the same with comics.
What will be interesting is if they are more “lax” on grading .such as giving out 9.8s for books that are 9.6s at CGC…even if a PSA 9.8 sells for less than a CGC 9.8, it could sell more than a 9.6 CGC.
Going to be hard to make comparisons because CGC damages books when they slab them, so you’re likely to get a lower grade if you crack out a CGC to send to PSA.
I have a 9.6 that I’ve submitted twice that is as good as that alleged 9.9.
I would love to see this sell for no more than an average 9.8, if bidders bother to examine it like this guy has. More than likely it will be grossly overpaid for anyway and celebrated among the Label Zombies.
CGC caters to the most high end comic investors first and foremost. They will more often or not get a premium grade over the average schmuck who submits.
I’m looking at a book and I’m trying to figure out what is wrong with the corner. I don’t see this coloring on the other books. Any clue what this defect is or if it’s normal? No grader’s notes.
It could be the tail end of distribution return ink for copies that went unsold. Maybe it was on the bottom of a stack and barely got touched? Usually dealers, would use red or blue ink, but, I’ve seen other colors. Not really sure here though. It’s one of those things I would have to see in person to be sure… Do the notes give any indication?