Collectors Universe purchases Beckett
1982FBWaxMemories
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https://cardhoundvintage.com/psa-parent-collectors-buying-beckett/?brid=DqrSJpMgqLuSAfn3iOvj9g
Per multiple sources, PSA parent company Collectors has reached an agreement to buy Beckett Grading.
Similar to when a deal was reached to purchase SGC in February 2024, PSA’s claim is that Beckett will remain an independent brand. With some hindsight, it is questionable whether that is Collectors’ true intention with SGC. Beckett’s future will be interesting to watch.
Notably, Becket has been gaining some market share recently, in the wake of SGC’s forced slowdown as PSA has retrained former SGC employees.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
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Comments
They must be terrified Fanatics is going to get into grading...
IPO must be near given D1 is involved.
Collectors Universe... then
SGC
Goldin Auctions
Wata Games
CardLadder
Genamint
eBay Vault
Now Beckett
39.99 sounds like a good deal right about now . 5 for you and 10 for me. Enjoy.
I hear the sound of a wild carnivore consuming its prey.
And then it poops. Now what. Another new game of QVC type stuff again.?
What is grading now? I realize now I’m old.
Cardboard monopoly.
hard to think this wasn't going to happen at some point. maybe psa can give us some insight as to what they are trying to accomplish.
I think the post above yours explains it quite thoroughly.
possibly, but sgc and bgs were hardly grading much compared to cgc and psa. adding them to your portfolio doesn't mean much to psa, but it probably saves the life of bgs and sgc.
i lean toward having certain items being graded by each, but that's not a big lean.
maybe this purchase is why the mets let diaz and alonso go. lol!!
This is getting ridiculous. Think I will get the last submission in and stop sending any money to Collector's. Just so many reasons to stop doing that. Them holding my latest 60-day submission in Arrived status for close to two months should probably be at the top of the list but its probably #5. This buy the card they graded as a 9 and changing it to a 10 scandal is high on the list.
Maybe #1 is this the whole hey we cant meet the guidelines we have set for turnaround so instead of apologizing or giving a discount due to our missing the mark, we are going to just go ahead and raise prices thing. Its kind of a shell game. It doesn't appear that they've done it but you used to pay this much for 25 days but now its 40 days, same price. But if you want 25 days, well you can still have it, that is just the more expensive category.
The term “Collector’s” is rather ironic when considering that the interests of such people are the least of concerns.
Goldin was "traded" to eBay for the vault.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Recently Beckett has been backed up with subs.
2025 SEC bowl record 4-10
SEC bowl record vs BIG TEN last two years 2-8
You’re right of course. There was an interesting article on it over on cllct.
https://www.cllct.com/sports-collectibles/auctions/inside-the-amicable-divorce-between-goldin-and-psa
Why buy Beckett if it will remain an independent brand....
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
I believe that. Some of us were looking for any alternative we felt might be worthy.
Running out of folks to turn to…
they said the same thing when they bought SGC. then 2 years later turned it into a "boutique" brand. I imagine the same will happen with Beckett.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
KSA is next. LOL
Ugghhhhh
Maybe they will buy PRO Grading next.
Random paraphrase mode activate!: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
I like PSA cards, but i dont like ONLY psa cards. I am sorry we are running out of alternatives here.
feels like back in the mid 2000's when sports card licenses started becoming exclusive. I didnt like that either.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Maybe they are compiling the graders from other companies. Maybe they will have sgc grade vintage and bgs grade modern, who knows. Neither were really competition for PSA. Just accumulating, and I'm not sure it would if be considered an asset for PSA. Cohen obviously isn't making for good moves for the mets, maybe these moves are worthless for PSa, who knows.
Conflict of interest with all these groups under 1 roof?
Synergy!
Synergy always has and always will be code for layoffs. It's a nasty word used widely by despicable corporate execs
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
But it's great for a joke!
Wasn't CBCS comic book grading under Beckett?
With PSA getting into book grading, acquiring CBCS had to be a factor in the decision of buying Beckett, maybe more so than cards.
Cornering the grading card market. I’m surprised that SGC still exists following being acquired by PSA. Not sure what PSA plans are after these two (2) acquisitions since I thought neither SGC nor Beckett is a threat to PSA…
Correct CBCS is under Beckett. Based on the CBCS forums it was part of the deal.
As nice as the PSA comic slab, CBCS's are still the "best". I'd rank them thusly; CBCS by a nose over PSA who by 100+ country miles is better than CGC's slab that damages the comic - see "bananagate"
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Probably a really great business idea to lock in the comic market and buy up the most reputable grading competition.
Now that collectors are becoming accustomed/comfortable with grading companies also buying the cards then that's going to definitely give Fanatics the runway to start doing the same. And they are actually making the cards! (what could go wrong with that?)
Now who can Fanatics immediately buy to ramp up a grading business? They almost have to start from scratch.
Sounds like COMC. I just shipped my last ever order. It was close to $30 for shipping, for their close to 2 month wait option no less. They are no longer great for combined shipping, they are no longer fast at processing your order, the selection and pricing has turned somewhat sour. They are no longer worth the look, for me at least. The end is near for me though. Autograph prices have skyrocketed comparatively. I don't buy packs and haven't for several decades now. it's time to start selling off and let someone else rent my stuff for a while.
CGC? As Fanatics seems to love a tainted name Ala PWCC
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
With COMC, you just have to cook into the equation that you're going to pay an extra quarter per card to ship it home. So, if you're a set builder and trying to knock off lower priced commons, that becomes somewhat cost prohibitive - you're going to pay $1 shipped for that $0.50 common in reseller mode instead of $0.75.
Their problem, though, is definitely what you are alluding to, which is similar to the grading companies - they implement cost increases without warning and still have a slower turnaround time, despite the cost increases.
COMC damages the corners a lot, I guess when storing the cards. The pics come look different many times. Of course thier pics aren't the greatest. If I buy 30 cards, 10 have bad corners. Now I am only buying $1 or $2 cards so it isn't the end of the world, but still annoying.
It’s easier to buy the competition instead of fixing the problems. And what is the top price needed to pay to have a 1988 topps common graded. Less than 40? Asking for a friend? Awesome stuff
I've had a better experience than that with condition.
To be honest the ownership of that OPG & marketplace has some major benefits most cannot see. Think there's more than meets the eye here folks. Ties in with other goals Collectors has long term. I'll look forward to how Collectors resolves the backbone issues I've seen at Beckett . I've sat and watched multiple ownership groups fumble through this Golden Nugget of a company ever since 2008. Hoping 2026 brings some good changes.
"Hoping 2026 brings some good changes."
39.99 over under for 2027. Might as well make it 49.99. + upcharges
I figure what happens here is this. PSA buys Beckett. Keeps the brand and the office. Beckett continues to do business as usual. PSA sends PSA orders to the Beckett office so Beckett graders can look at them when they don't have enough Beckett flow. Then they can farm graders in a new location, around the Beckett office, and hire.
PSA is probably buying these companies for insurance purposes. Because PSA sending orders to different companies offices around the country to be graded probably doesn't sound so good to the insurance companies.
I am surprised nobody has accused PSA of using steroids. They got real big real fast around 2000-2001..
ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
I feel like part of it can be everybody complains about the PSA experience and the wait time. You have a company like SGC whose wait and customer service were off the charts awesome. Like 5 to 10 days compared to 2 to 3 months. For $5 to $8 cheaper per card. More cheap if if it was a valuable card cause SGC said we charge you this price even if its valuable. SGC could respond to an email in 10 minutes in the afternoon. In the afternoon PSA says well we are done talking to people today.
So they buy SGC and make all that nice stuff disappear. Its like we will make them seem just as bad as us now that we are pulling the strings. Then noone can say they are so much better. Buy Beckett too. Even though Beckett did not shine so much more than PSA but I'd say the customer experience most of the time was better. But buy up most of the competitors and then there is noone to make you look bad. Cause you own them and can make them suck as much as you want. Can be an image thing if there are not other grading companies out there to be compared to. Or there are but you can make them look like garbage so major victory for the PSA image.
i really like the BGS slab more than any other. I feel it offers considerably more protection. I hope they do keep the brand "open"
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
If there is a positive, I would imagine that prices will continue to increase but that will mean that only exclusive cards will be graded from here on out. no more current year base rookies and tons and tons of junk slabs.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Serious question. Why no talk about the coin grading? Ngc and pcgs are also owned by them now right? I have seen nothing change over there. Also another quiet monopoly. Would be great if they just threw poop all over that area and leave this one alone for at least 1 week. Give us a break.
Agree. Feel like it depends on the card. But especially with expensive modern auto refractor cards, it feels right to have one thick durable case to showcase it, especially if it is a BGS 9.5 or better and you have the gold label showcasing it.
Would not want BGS holders for PSA 8 75 Topps mini commons. But for the most valuable cards you own, I like the idea of it being protected like that. A National Treasures card works well in a BGS holder. I actually did have a PSA 8 75 Mini I dropped once and the case shattered. No big deal. But scary to think of dropping a Hank Aaron rookie and the case explodes. Feels like you could drive over a Beckett slab and it may have a shot at surviving.
Think it would be cool if any card valued at over $1000 was given a thicker sturdier slab, especially since you paid more to grade it.
^ https://www.cardshellz.com/products/hero-diamond-shell?variant=42496947486879
@UFFDAH recommended cardshellz to me early last year.
After trying out a sample I order a case.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Looks like things are getting interesting.
https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-pat-ryan-demands-ftc-investigation-collectors-holdings-attempt
^ Prolly won't go anywhere but cool and exciting if it does. It might next shine light on coins and comics.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
How bout that PSA 10 wilt that they reholdered into a 9