@grote15 said:
It may not make sense to submit most common cards at these prices but I'm seeing prices higher than ever for already graded commons which to me indicates people are still active on the registry and building sets.
I believe they are paying higher prices for certain commons and because they are not readily available anymore.
Exactly. Competition among registry set participants is fiercer due to dwindling supply.
But that’s not sustainable as no one is sending in those cards anymore, believe me I know, I used to send in thousands of vintage commons every year. I used to average 8% 10s and 60% or so 9s but now you get your teeth kicked in. So a handful of commons will but don’t count on those starting or in the beginning stages of a registry set to start shelling out $25+ for cards they can get for $3-4 raw, it would be foolish and not cost effective. Will some ? Probably but for all intensive purposes the registry is dead.
How many vintage sets get started nowadays? I have no idea and I’m sure someone here would know who follow it but I’m betting it’s low for vintage
The activity on the registry at least with the sets I collect, especially 1975 minis, is stronger than ever with pricing reflecting that. When a tough card in high grade in a new or old flip comes up for sale, the competition is fierce. I've been hearing the set registry is dead for years and years now, but it has yet to happen. Quite the opposite, actually. That's been my firsthand experience. I miss the days of buying tougher low pop commons for a fraction of what they hammer for now.
For those folks already committed to a registry set, I agree that it's still hot. But, I doubt anyone would start a 726 card 1978 Registry Set or a 792 card 1983 Registry set from scratch anymore. Definitely not one from self-submissions which was half the fun back in the day.
I would agree that starting a set now via the self sub route is not going to be a popular or practical choice. Sadly, the hobby has changed permanently in that regard along with pricing...good for those with collections now worth a lot more than they were years ago but sad, too, as subbing stacks of pack pulled cards when both sub fees and the packs themselves were so much lower in cost was something I did regularly back then and thoroughly enjoyed.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
First they came for SGC
And I did not speak out
Because I don't grade with SGC
Then they came for BGS
And I did not speak out
Because I don't grade with BGS...
@1982FBWaxMemories said:
^ I think that started but by purchasing all their true competition they resolved that.
Or maybe they saw where things were going and did that to buy themselves more time...
Very interesting that REA just opened their newest auction and 2 or 3 pages of listings are all TCM-type things. More than I've ever seen in one of their periodic auctions.
@SDSportsFan said:
Anyone who didn't see this coming is a fool.
First they eliminated the competition by buying both SGC and Beckett, making PSA the only game in town.
Now that they've basically created a monopoly, they raise the price for grading.
Also, has anyone else noticed that they have had NO CARD GRADING SPECIALS for at least the LAST TWO MONTHS???
Their last pre-1980 card special was in March of last year; so no pre-1980 grading specials in one year!!!
They seem to have completely given up on serving set and vintage card collectors, and are now completely focused on non-card and NSS (New Shiny "Stuff") items.
Steve
They have zero interest in the hobby. Making money is all that matters now.
I'm glad I got my regular Topps Albert Pujols PSA 10 run completed before all of this nonsense.
I haven't graded a card in years. I am probably forever out of that game. It was fun while it lasted. I really enjoyed going through cards to try to find gems at $5 - $7 for the grading fee. Those were the days. I miss them, but they are long gone.
Same story here too. I used to sub a couple/few thousand cards per year, but with price increases it is down to noticeably less than 100 for last year. Probably will do even less this year. Still have boxes of raw that I'd love to sub and would have done so not too many years ago, with the same volume if they'd have the same fees. The increases have almost eliminated all the "fun" subs entirely.
I have no idea who makes up the monthly specials for PSA, but they are truly not very creative. I don't believe PSA has put out a vintage special since Oct and then before then in April. Only two vintage card specials in a year period??? In order to encourage set registry growth and interest, I have a couple of ideas.
Special for commons with a value of $100 or less and a surcharge of $29.99 a card should the value exceed $300.
March 2026 monthly special includes:
1975 Topps baseball/1970 Topps Football/1973 Topps basketball/1974 Hockey
must send in 200 cards $12.99. Must be a member.
Every month PSA specifically picks a different year from 1960s-1990s that would promote set building.
This is crazy that PSA does not do something to help their brand. Poor management
I realize most people are not going to have 200 cards laying around for each year, but PSA would increase their subscriptions over night.
Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
@1954 said:
I have no idea who makes up the monthly specials for PSA, but they are truly not very creative. I don't believe PSA has put out a vintage special since Oct and then before then in April. Only two vintage card specials in a year period??? In order to encourage set registry growth and interest, I have a couple of ideas.
Special for commons with a value of $100 or less and a surcharge of $29.99 a card should the value exceed $300.
March 2026 monthly special includes:
1975 Topps baseball/1970 Topps Football/1973 Topps basketball/1974 Hockey
must send in 200 cards $12.99. Must be a member.
Every month PSA specifically picks a different year from 1960s-1990s that would promote set building.
This is crazy that PSA does not do something to help their brand. Poor management
I realize most people are not going to have 200 cards laying around for each year, but PSA would increase their subscriptions over night.
Though rare (and not often enough), PSA does still include 1960's through 1990's in their specials rotations. But, 1950's is way less often, and I think it has been something like at least 6 or more years since they last offered a special for 1949 and earlier. If they were going to do a special that includes 1950's, I wish they would offer 1959 plus all earlier preceding years, and then maybe a 1960-1990's one as well. I'd agree, 100 or 200 card minimum sounds appropriate.
The sad truth is that there’s no longer enough flow of old vintage cards to support the demand for a special. I’ve noticed there are more reholdered cards with old serial numbers, so they must be overjoyed at the business it brings. Why mess with borderline old leftovers when they can charge aplenty for fresh new slabs for the quality stuff graded 20 years ago?
What will eventually happen is they will continue increasing prices until submissions level off or decrease. When they get to the point where they notice a decrease in submissions, that is when we will probably see more specials. They're clearly making money at lower price levels, so extending a special from a higher price point will still be profitable for them and keep the cards coming in.
I know PSA is only concentrating on profits at this point and completely neglecting the collecting side of it. I think a commons special for any year would be a great move in satisfying the customer, increasing membership and an opportunity to help grow the graded value for collectors. The set registry is the sole reason why PSA outshined the other grading companies.
Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
I think they have been concentrating on profits all-along and the market has just changed. It's hard to blame them. Perhaps someone should make a set-registry if there's a market for it. There's only about a billion ways to make PSA's set-registry better so why settle for what this dumpster-fire can conjure up regardless?
@1954 said:
I have no idea who makes up the monthly specials for PSA, but they are truly not very creative. I don't believe PSA has put out a vintage special since Oct and then before then in April. Only two vintage card specials in a year period??? In order to encourage set registry growth and interest, I have a couple of ideas.
Special for commons with a value of $100 or less and a surcharge of $29.99 a card should the value exceed $300.
March 2026 monthly special includes:
1975 Topps baseball/1970 Topps Football/1973 Topps basketball/1974 Hockey
must send in 200 cards $12.99. Must be a member.
Every month PSA specifically picks a different year from 1960s-1990s that would promote set building.
This is crazy that PSA does not do something to help their brand. Poor management
I realize most people are not going to have 200 cards laying around for each year, but PSA would increase their subscriptions over night.
I love your specials ideas. hopefully someone from PSA is following this thread and takes that idea.
I have been sending cards in for grading for over 20 years. I finally had to let my membership run out. It seemed pointless to renew my membership until there was a reason. I have about 25 cards from the 1960's and 40 from the 1990's. There is nothing great, just cards for my registry sets, most of which might not even be worth the 24.99 grading fee depending on the grade they get. Even if a special finally does come, adding the $150 membership fee will not make it seem very special. It feels like PSA has taken the fun out of the registry.
Comments
For those folks already committed to a registry set, I agree that it's still hot. But, I doubt anyone would start a 726 card 1978 Registry Set or a 792 card 1983 Registry set from scratch anymore. Definitely not one from self-submissions which was half the fun back in the day.
I would agree that starting a set now via the self sub route is not going to be a popular or practical choice. Sadly, the hobby has changed permanently in that regard along with pricing...good for those with collections now worth a lot more than they were years ago but sad, too, as subbing stacks of pack pulled cards when both sub fees and the packs themselves were so much lower in cost was something I did regularly back then and thoroughly enjoyed.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
First they came for SGC
And I did not speak out
Because I don't grade with SGC
Then they came for BGS
And I did not speak out
Because I don't grade with BGS...
Or maybe they saw where things were going and did that to buy themselves more time...
Very interesting that REA just opened their newest auction and 2 or 3 pages of listings are all TCM-type things. More than I've ever seen in one of their periodic auctions.
There isn't any post in this thread that hasn't been regurgitated over and over again the last 20 years.
Id agree but PSA have purchased all their truly viable competition then raising prices is a new wrinkle.
Rockefeller would have been proud, Teddy Roosevelt however would have taken action.
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)
They have zero interest in the hobby. Making money is all that matters now.
Late 60's and early to mid 70's non-sports
They are completely abandoning the whole collector base that used the registry and making it impossible for a lot of that segment
I'm glad I got my regular Topps Albert Pujols PSA 10 run completed before all of this nonsense.
I haven't graded a card in years. I am probably forever out of that game. It was fun while it lasted. I really enjoyed going through cards to try to find gems at $5 - $7 for the grading fee. Those were the days. I miss them, but they are long gone.
Shane
Same story here too. I used to sub a couple/few thousand cards per year, but with price increases it is down to noticeably less than 100 for last year. Probably will do even less this year. Still have boxes of raw that I'd love to sub and would have done so not too many years ago, with the same volume if they'd have the same fees. The increases have almost eliminated all the "fun" subs entirely.
I have no idea who makes up the monthly specials for PSA, but they are truly not very creative. I don't believe PSA has put out a vintage special since Oct and then before then in April. Only two vintage card specials in a year period??? In order to encourage set registry growth and interest, I have a couple of ideas.
Special for commons with a value of $100 or less and a surcharge of $29.99 a card should the value exceed $300.
March 2026 monthly special includes:
1975 Topps baseball/1970 Topps Football/1973 Topps basketball/1974 Hockey
must send in 200 cards $12.99. Must be a member.
Every month PSA specifically picks a different year from 1960s-1990s that would promote set building.
This is crazy that PSA does not do something to help their brand. Poor management
I realize most people are not going to have 200 cards laying around for each year, but PSA would increase their subscriptions over night.
Though rare (and not often enough), PSA does still include 1960's through 1990's in their specials rotations. But, 1950's is way less often, and I think it has been something like at least 6 or more years since they last offered a special for 1949 and earlier. If they were going to do a special that includes 1950's, I wish they would offer 1959 plus all earlier preceding years, and then maybe a 1960-1990's one as well. I'd agree, 100 or 200 card minimum sounds appropriate.
The sad truth is that there’s no longer enough flow of old vintage cards to support the demand for a special. I’ve noticed there are more reholdered cards with old serial numbers, so they must be overjoyed at the business it brings. Why mess with borderline old leftovers when they can charge aplenty for fresh new slabs for the quality stuff graded 20 years ago?
What will eventually happen is they will continue increasing prices until submissions level off or decrease. When they get to the point where they notice a decrease in submissions, that is when we will probably see more specials. They're clearly making money at lower price levels, so extending a special from a higher price point will still be profitable for them and keep the cards coming in.
I don't see TCG subs doing anything but increase in foreseeable future.
Expect another increase before EOY
Those who wanted "excitement brewing" and shamelessly pumped that here, there and everywhere deserve at least a tiny percentage of the blame.
Then more importantly factor the vertigo inspiring tilted 16mil Logan pal pokeman card and the torrent to PSA will grow exponentially.
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)
I know PSA is only concentrating on profits at this point and completely neglecting the collecting side of it. I think a commons special for any year would be a great move in satisfying the customer, increasing membership and an opportunity to help grow the graded value for collectors. The set registry is the sole reason why PSA outshined the other grading companies.
I think they have been concentrating on profits all-along and the market has just changed. It's hard to blame them. Perhaps someone should make a set-registry if there's a market for it. There's only about a billion ways to make PSA's set-registry better so why settle for what this dumpster-fire can conjure up regardless?
I love your specials ideas. hopefully someone from PSA is following this thread and takes that idea.
I have been sending cards in for grading for over 20 years. I finally had to let my membership run out. It seemed pointless to renew my membership until there was a reason. I have about 25 cards from the 1960's and 40 from the 1990's. There is nothing great, just cards for my registry sets, most of which might not even be worth the 24.99 grading fee depending on the grade they get. Even if a special finally does come, adding the $150 membership fee will not make it seem very special. It feels like PSA has taken the fun out of the registry.