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My experience so far with CSG
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15 posts in this topic

I think they are currently grading a little too harshly. I am have sent in 150+ cards and have received a 10 on less then 1% of submissions. I understand that they are trying to make a name for themselves as a true competitor at the top end of the hobby but it feels like they are using the 9.5 grade a tool to keep their percentage of 10's down and not grading each card on its own merits. This is just a feeling I have gotten so far. The bottom line for me is collectors send their cards in for 2 reasons. To protect them and to increase the value of the card. In the current market place PSA 10 is selling for more than a CSG 10 and obliterating 9.5. Saying that, it makes total sense that a PSA 10 is selling for the most. They have been the kings of the industry for years now and hopefully a company comes along as a direct challenge. My main concern for CSG is they have apparently modeled their business after the BSG model and that model has proven to be inferior to PSA over a significant amount of time. I intend to holding my CSG's and hopefully I am wrong but copying the BSG model to me was a mistake for CSG, but only time will tell.

Edited by BMLCC
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You realize that CSG's grading scale isn't the same as the other companies, right? At PSA and SGC, Gem Mint is a 10. Gem Mint at CSG is a 9.5, like BGS. 10s at CSG are labeled Pristine or Perfect and should be valued far higher than any PSA 10. That's why they're rare, they're basically perfect cards.

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On 11/11/2021 at 3:06 PM, BMLCC said:

I think they are currently grading a little too harshly. I am have sent in 150+ cards and have received a 10 on less then 1% of submissions. I understand that they are trying to make a name for themselves as a true competitor at the top end of the hobby but it feels like they are using the 9.5 grade a tool to keep their percentage of 10's down and not grading each card on its own merits. This is just a feeling I have gotten so far. The bottom line for me is collectors send their cards in for 2 reasons. To protect them and to increase the value of the card. In the current market place PSA 10 is selling for more than a CSG 10 and obliterating 9.5. Saying that, it makes total sense that a PSA 10 is selling for the most. They have been the kings of the industry for years now and hopefully a company comes along as a direct challenge. My main concern for CSG is they have apparently modeled their business after the BSG model and that model has proven to be inferior to PSA over a significant amount of time. I intend to holding my CSG's and hopefully I am wrong but copying the BSG model to me was a mistake for CSG, but only time will tell.

interesting thought, but is it possible to use the psa type scale and still use .5's ? i think most collectors like .5's and psa is about 70% 10s on modern type cards its ridiculous your paying for the brand not the card, Im curious has anyone ever got a perfect 10 at csg not a pristine a perfect 10? it should be possible after all we take good care of the cards we are not the manufacturer we just open the packs we dont make them 

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On 11/13/2021 at 2:20 AM, micky 8 said:

interesting thought, but is it possible to use the psa type scale and still use .5's ? i think most collectors like .5's and psa is about 70% 10s on modern type cards its ridiculous your paying for the brand not the card, Im curious has anyone ever got a perfect 10 at csg not a pristine a perfect 10? it should be possible after all we take good care of the cards we are not the manufacturer we just open the packs we dont make them 

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On 11/13/2021 at 2:09 AM, Kon_Jelly said:

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Tried to buy that card and it went for double the PSA 10 recent comps........  I don't think a lot of people know the Perfect 10 is their highest grade but obviously enough people appreciate it. 

Edited by Ryan Magee
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On 11/11/2021 at 4:51 PM, PunsRTonsOfFun said:

You realize that CSG's grading scale isn't the same as the other companies, right? At PSA and SGC, Gem Mint is a 10. Gem Mint at CSG is a 9.5, like BGS. 10s at CSG are labeled Pristine or Perfect and should be valued far higher than any PSA 10. That's why they're rare, they're basically perfect cards.

That is purely semantics. The current value of a card is how much a collector is willing to pay for it in todays marketplace. A Pristine CSG 10 is selling for less then a PSA 10 in the market today. It really doesn't matter what PSA is calling their 10's the grading is the same and the value is set by the consumer. My point is BGS has been doing this for years and their 10's sell for less then PSA on average as well. It is a failed model if the goal is to dethrone PSA at the top of the industry.  

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On 11/13/2021 at 4:10 PM, BMLCC said:

That is purely semantics. The current value of a card is how much a collector is willing to pay for it in todays marketplace. A Pristine CSG 10 is selling for less then a PSA 10 in the market today. It really doesn't matter what PSA is calling their 10's the grading is the same and the value is set by the consumer. My point is BGS has been doing this for years and their 10's sell for less then PSA on average as well. It is a failed model if the goal is to dethrone PSA at the top of the industry.  

 

On 11/13/2021 at 4:10 PM, BMLCC said:

That is purely semantics. The current value of a card is how much a collector is willing to pay for it in todays marketplace. A Pristine CSG 10 is selling for less then a PSA 10 in the market today. It really doesn't matter what PSA is calling their 10's the grading is the same and the value is set by the consumer. My point is BGS has been doing this for years and their 10's sell for less then PSA on average as well. It is a failed model if the goal is to dethrone PSA at the top of the industry.  

its a good point! its all consumer perception and the simple inevitable fact that 10 is greater then 9 will continually keep psa values higher. Im assuming csg is hoping over time the csg 9.5 will have equal value to the psa 10 and there perfect 10 will be thee most valuable of that particular card possible!! will collectors perceive csg that way in the future with all this competition who knows i hope so i like the clear csg slab  

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On 11/13/2021 at 6:09 AM, Kon_Jelly said:

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thank you! its not a myth! it is possible it seems like surface is the catagory that prevents so many csg 10s which is crazy, ya open the pack put it in a sleeve n mail it and ya get wacked for an 8 on surface! ha nice card tho glad ya got subs to show it off too a true 10!

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On 12/17/2021 at 7:25 PM, Sports Cards Review said:

I too am a bit curious to how many perfects there are. I have 3 of them along with 25 Pristine. Knowing will certainly help value. These Rookies should be worth something not only for who it is, but how old they are.

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 really nice cards!! hopefully a pop report comes out soon alot of curious customers csg 10's seem to sell very good, a guy on you tube compares grader sales of cards and the csg 10 does very well and there pristine 10s i never seen a perfect 10 get compared to other sales but i would put it up well over a psa 10 

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On 12/17/2021 at 8:15 PM, micky 8 said:

 really nice cards!! hopefully a pop report comes out soon alot of curious customers csg 10's seem to sell very good, a guy on you tube compares grader sales of cards and the csg 10 does very well and there pristine 10s i never seen a perfect 10 get compared to other sales but i would put it up well over a psa 10 

I would assume we don't see videos about perfect because there aren't that many to compare to. I asked about 2 months ago and they said less than 50. I'm sure it has increased since then, but less than 50 From Feb to October is pretty crazy considering the volume.

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On 12/18/2021 at 9:47 AM, Sports Cards Review said:

I would assume we don't see videos about perfect because there aren't that many to compare to. I asked about 2 months ago and they said less than 50. I'm sure it has increased since then, but less than 50 From Feb to October is pretty crazy considering the volume.

wow thats crazy and you got 3 of em! 

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My son and I recently submitted about 24 cards. I'm not new to the hobby. I'm glad some of  you have received 10's from CSG.  It actually makes me feel better that they do put out 10's.  But a few of the cards, especially my son's, that were rated as 9's tells me that CSG may be consistent and strict, but probably to our detriment in today's market where a 10 sells and anything less is an afterthought. I think it's too bad that this what the hobby has come to, but even I have to accept that now. These were some pristine cards, too.

Will be sending this in to ISA and then PSA, so I'll let you know how the grades differ as a little experiment.223090826_jalenjohnsoncsg9.PNG.6c66caf63cc302428a3b24faf64f829f.PNG

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Everything the OP is saying is correct but I feel its because people don't understand the grading scale.  They see a PSA 10 and just assume its as good as a CSG 10 and it's not.  Personally, I have begun to seek out CSG 10's knowing what they are while its still easy to get a bargain (in some cases).  I prefer CSG's slabs to any of their competitors but at this point submitting to CSG is tantamount to knowingly devaluing my collection.  For now I'm not getting any cards graded.  I hope the market adjusts and sees the value in CSG's grading services but its not looking good.  CSG's turnaround time is less than half what their services page says which means many collectors feel the same.  Especially since PSA has cut their grading services to higher tiers only.  Where is the overflow going?  A friend of mine knows someone who works at SGC and said there has seen a huge bloom in submissions and that they've had to expand.  I've thought of giving them a shot but their slabs are terrible.  Can't bring myself to do it.  

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So I got my 50 card bulk sub back on Feb 2nd and while excited to have it return sooner than expected I was somewhat disappointed about the grades - at first...I received three 8.5's, two 8's five 7.5's and seven 7's.  32 of the cards were pre 1980 so I was under no delusion that there would be a surplus of 9's and 10's.  I was initially surprised that at least one of my six 1981 Rickey Henderson or five Harold Baines rookies did not come back a 9, but as I looked closely at my new slabs I noticed that they were indeed not well centered - or enough so to garner a 9.  This was a real lesson - that I was not as discriminating as I should have been.  Quite a few of my cards would have better grades had the centering been up to par.  For these situations where there are centering issues on a higher value card (say easily $100-150+ value) I would request sub-grades assuming that centering is the culprit lowering the final grade.  
 
I do like the slabs better and I say this while also owning both PSA and BGS slabs.  I am a collector mostly as I have had my cards for over 30 years but I do plan to sell doubles, etc., to fund the addiction.  I do feel CSG grades hard but fair so I will be sending more.  

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