Fair. Good update, appreciate the passion and excited to see your collection grow.
I have no response other than: your bloodline is weak, and you will probably not survive the winter
EDIT: BGS slabs do look pretty cool though
Anyone else feel like OP’s “W” key is broken?
(w)“ant” and (w)“ith”
I like the BGS slabs and the way the labels look. But I have no loyalty to any of these grading companies. My collection is 95% PSA because I started my collection with PSA over 10 years ago and just kept it up for consistency.
There’s a period of time that PSA has signs of pop controlling especially for vintage Pokemon cards (mid 4 certs to early 5 certs), but no longer nowadays (at least based on my observations).
The real pop control nowadays are CGC gold labels (just a little easier than Beckett black labels but the actual card conditions are all over the place compared to Beckett BL)
Also I noticed Beckett BL is slightly easier to get now compared to used to potentially due to better card qualities.
BGS is by far the most consistent grading company.
I also now have my own sales rep who replies within an hour if me emailing them with any issues.
Not to mention the superior slab, subgrades, UV protection, inner sleeve etc.
Yea, they have some things to work on - such as their pop report, adding scans etc
But holding the finished product in your hand, BGS blows PSA out of the water.
Sadly many people are heavily invested in PSA and it’s in their interest to keep pumping it.
Your post is correct.
Only for poop slabs. Moat people grade modern with CGC to flip. That’s why their numbers are so high.
Yup they sure know what they are doing in Texas. BGS scores the worst on being able to see the card. The sleeve inside blocks clarity. But nobody cares about the card, it’s all about that label, assuming it stays in place in their crappy design.
PSA slabs don’t rattle around like a maraca?
Don’t get me started on PSA and loose cards. Its so bad
At this point in my collection journey, I’ve taken clarity as the highest priority over most other factors with the big 3. Slab quality is a major issue with BGS. Heavier, thicker, and more material doesn’t equal higher quality.
All my BGS cards have fogging issues. If they figured out how to emulate CGC’s clarity, that would be a game changer. I do think BGS has the best label and would start sending cards their way again if they fixed the clunky slab.
This post is almost as wild as the OP’s lol. BGS has zero consistency for grades under 9.5. They have the worst slab, hands down, with the worst clarity and the most prone to scratches. UV protection doesn’t matter. Customer service is awful. For normal people without a rep like you have, responses come weeks later and are usually not helpful. The pop report is awful. The site is improved from what it was, but also pretty damn bad.
In an ideal world, give me CGC’s slab and customer service, BGS’s label, and PSA’s website and resale value.
BGS site is great at helping you not submit cards.
And their pop reports need a divining rod to navigate
This is a joke, right? I’ve never seen BGS and consistent in the same sentence.
Do you submit with BGS? No? Then you don’t have a sample size.
Seeing many people switch over to BGS from PSA.
I submit a lot and it is only with PSA there is some doubt as to what the card would get.
@pokecollectoramy I am a normal person - I am an international submitter but I have direct contact with a sales rep and customer service person. I submit at standard tiers. Anyone can get that level of support. “Worst slab” is subjective. I think people who say they are inconsistent under a 9.5 are perhaps referring to older certs. Anything pas 11xxx is usually very fairly graded. Similar to how PSA have issues with older certs (sensitive subject in this forum).
@smpratte have you actually submitted recently with BGS? It is MUCH better - it is exactly the same system now as submitting with PSA/CGC. Sadly their pop report is not as UX friendly, but I hear they are working on that.
Sleeve definitely has no effect on clarity in person. Maybe try turning your lights on? But sure I’ll give you that it is reflective and makes taking photos harder than a PSA slab
Also someone in here saying the BGS slab is the worst overall, which is surely delusion. For me, It’s thicker and more sturdy than PSA cases without question and like any other plastic case, a little plastic scratch remover and polish and the case is quite gorgeous. Looks much more like an art piece/collectible than PSA cases and feels much more sturdy.
I know everyone here prefers PSA but when it comes to vintage especially, Beckett slabs look a lot better and I’d rather trust their ridiculous scrutiny at the 9-10 level than PSA’s “it can be flawed and still be a 10” strategy of maximizing customer satisfaction.
Sleeves in BGS case 100% affect the clarity. I want to look at the card, not take pictures for others to see.
Clearly not true based on the OP and this discussion. The greater reality is that less than 5% of total volume of non-sports cards go through BGS. So the sentiment here is reflective of the hobby more generally.
Arguing about which slab is the best is a pretty unproductive conversation since its so subjective. I really dislike the BGS cases. I don’t like the corners, the thickness, inner sleeve, the label. But I can totally understand if others prefer the extra feeling of durability.