The new SGC is almost here!
 

For those of you who haven't read this yet here it is. It's nice to see some changes coming to SGC.

SGC Moving to 10-Point Grading Scale, Plans Submission Process Upgrades

June 19, 2018 By Rich Mueller from Sports Collectors Daily

SGC will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer but cake and ice cream aren’t the only thing the grading and authenticating firm will be passing out.

Some big changes are happening as part of an overall rebranding of one of the hobby’s most familiar names. Earlier this month, the Florida-based company announced the upcoming launch of a uniform authentication division. That was the first of many developments customers can expect in the coming weeks.

The biggest move centers around the core of its business. SGC says it plans to do away with the 100-point grading scale it implemented upon the company’s 1998 launch, moving instead to a 1-10 system. While SGC’s holders currently include a 1-10 grade on the label, it has always been in smaller font and below the assigned grade from the 100-point scale. With PSA having adopted half-point grades several years ago, SGC’s labels will match those of its competitor—with one difference: SGC is adding a new 9.5 grade, something Beckett Grading also offers. The SGC label itself is also being redesigned. The changes are expected to take place before the National Sports Collectors Convention in early August.

“The 1-10 scale has become more universally recognized in the industry, so we decided to fully adopt it in order to better unify collectors and simplify the process,” stated SGC Director of Business Development Tyler Grady.

It isn’t the only change, though. SGC says it’s making improvements to the entire submission process including the ability to know where a particular order is within SGC’s system at all times.

“The new ‘Submission Tracking’ feature will allow SGC customers to easily and precisely track where their order is within the process: from receiving, data entry, and grading, to encapsulation and shipping,” Grady told Sports Collectors Daily. “This feature will also allow our customers to see a current estimated date of the completion for their submissions.”

The online submission form, too, will be simplified and Grady says every card SGC grades will be scanned in its holder prior to shipping.

“Customers will be able to see the images of these cards via our new ‘certification number look-up’ feature. This will allow customers to further verify authenticity by comparing the card they are planning to purchase with its image on the SGC site and be confident that it is actually the same card that SGC graded. SGC will also make sure that all certification numbers are randomized in order to protect customer privacy.”

Population Reports on the website will include images and users will be able to automatically upload scanned images of their cards to the Set Registry.

Later this summer, SGC will also begin offering a ‘Grader Notes Option’ which will allow customers to review the notes made by its graders as they examined a card, which will help better explain the reasons why it received a certain grade.

For the first time, Grady says SGC will also offer a buying and selling platform for users, which will be ready by late this year.

“We are building a marketplace that will connect collectors across the world and facilitate transactions. Collectors will be able to make offers through the Pop Reports, the Registry, and our new platform. We anticipate that this marketplace will serve as a valuable asset to collectors and will also provide us with helpful real-time pricing data.”

Grade notes would be a nice touch. Hopefully they're more than the post it note you get from PSA that just says corners.

My biggest concern is the new labels :-(

I believe this could be a good move for SGC, give them an edge to the competition for the time being. Without these changes there wasn't much chance of taking market share away from others, this gives them a chance.

SGC, IMO, has always had the best looking slab. I like the black insert surround and the green label. My slabbed cards are better than 90% with SGC. My big question is how similar is the new slip and label to the old? Can we see a scan of new and old side by side? It is hard to tell from the following picture how well the two will match/compare. Does the green become black?

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Can't wait to crack a few.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I concur . . . If the new label is black in color . . . how much longer do we have to make a submission with the old green label?

I don’t know Joe. I was wondering the same thing. I have a few sgc cards I’d like to have reholstered due to scratching. I wonder if I can request they insert the same old label? I don’t want this new large numbered one.

For us Pre-War guys the grade typically isn't the focal point. It is a feat for me to simply obtain SF Hess Newsboy cards. I want the slab to frame the card nicely and the grade is a distant second. I don't want a large number trying to take attention away from the card.

If you collect post war Mickey Mantles, maybe the grade is the bigger deal and you want to bring attention to it.

The size of the number isn't a deal breaker for me but I do hope they retain a green label . . . seems were through this once before.

Why would anyone care what the label looks like. It's all in the grade. I like the big numbers. I don't care if the label is candy stripe. A more modern label would be great.

I think you'd be surprised. Collectors are a funny breed and too much change too quickly can spook them, epecially when it comes to uniformity issues within their collections. The majority of guys that I know who prefer them over PSA do so for how their slabs and labels look, not because of the grades. I actually wouldn't be surprised if this move sinks SGC.

It may be hard to believe, but some people actually enjoy things that are aesthetically pleasing.....

Some care about the label, others the black insert, or the grade, or the holder. Some wackos might even care about the card inside. To each their own.

What a crappy looking flip. And welcome to the 21st century in moving to a 1-10 grading scale. They can re-invent themselves and pull rabbits out of their hat all day long, but for post-war sales value, PSA will still blow them out of the tub for the same grade on the same card. :rolleyes:

Will the changes come on Monday?

Like it or not, we all need to sell our cards in the future or give to our kids, therefore PSA will bring the highest prices for me and my survivors.
I don't think I've ever looked at the label, I like the cards much better. Only graded so the kids have a easier time selling them. Label ?

Personally I don't care what their label looks like, or what their holder looks like. The only thing that I care about is that the grade they do put on the card is an accurate grade! I have way too many SGC & PSA graded cards that have been so inconsistently graded over the years that it's almost embarrassing to pull out a 7 in a holder that today would be lucky to get a 5 with todays grading. If they are going to make one change, please let it be consistent grading of their cards for all submissions. I for one am getting tired of playing the submission roulette depending on which grader you happen to get on any given day with both PSA & SGC.

Random question: is Tyler Grady any relation to Derek Grady, who was SGC's old Director of Grading?

Tyler
 

It is his son. He was a contestant on American idol.

New slabs
 

I hope the new slabs are the same size as the old slabs. I have been slowly sending cards from my T213-2 partial set to SGC. I want the look of the new slabs to fit in with the old slabs.

My wall is made from barn board that was recovered from a barn that was built in Iowa in the 1880's, and I like the way the black slabs look against the barnboard.

I know that SGC can't make business decisions because of one wall in my room, and I will stay with SGC as I complete my set, but I would like to have a close look at one of the new slabs.
Rick

But will the printed corners on the label be rounded or square?😂

Have a submission in right now. Hopefully I will still get the old label. LOL

SGC should start giving Old Judge cards (or any 19th century photo cards) higher grades for better image clarity. Makes no sense to grade corners and back damage, etc, when the clarity is what's important.

I turned in a quick submission myself hoping for the same results. Though I don’t hate the new flip design.

Prolly just o/c. :D

from OGK

So a 10 is still poor. Or is it just the 40 years of seeing poor abbreviated as PR in hobby publications.

Also, that's one UGLY label.

That's horrible.

I don't care what the flip looks like as long as they pick one and stick to it. I understand PSA changing theirs 3 or 4 time since the new slab but don't want that done to the slabs I collect.:D

I think I like the old flips better. Maybe this style will grow on me.

Not a fan of the new label, who’s idea was it to change ?

I appreciate that after 20 years they’ve figured out how to produce a label without perforated edges.

I’m curious about the 9.5 grade. Will 9.5 equal the old SGC 98/10 grade? Or is the new 9.5 somewhere between the old SGC 96 and 98?

I like it.

I like the black as it doesn't clash with any color of a card, unlike the red PSA flips. I like the green flips as well but I think the black flip will focus more attention on the card than the flip.

I think the gold is a great touch. Pristine is truly being set apart.

When someone who knows nothing about cards sees an SGC card at someone's house it helps complement the card as a display piece rather than "oh that red flip".

not sure I'd ever consider old cardboard "luxurious?"

I like this flip
 

I hated the old flips I like this upcoming flip.

That’s a bad ass wall!

This could be pretty cool, especially if they don’t take 10-20% of the sale like eBay or an AH.

I have one card with them (Priority 5 business day) that they received on 6/4 and the grade still hasn't posted, so make sure you cross all of your fingers.

That sounds a bit long from my experience with SGC. Have you been in contact with them?

I like it! Their label was in desperate need of updating. As martuzzi stated the perforated edges on their old labels looked horrible at times. I think this change was a long time coming.

Sent an email on Sunday - no response.

I am always amazed (amused? perplexed?) at the extreme negative response that a new flip can elicit. As long as it's not entirely distracting and it serves its purpose (ie. it relays the necessary information), isn't that good enough? Typically when I look at a graded card I will just glance at the flip and then spend the rest of my time looking at the actual card.

I can understand not wanting a change for uniformity with existing cards in the collection, but to classify some simple, gold colored text laid out against a white background as "ugly" or "horrible" seems a bit overdramatic.

To each their own, I guess.

ch.uck wo.lf

One thing I will say about Beckett is I love the subgrades being listed on the flip. I think Dave and the guys at SGC are doing some great and innovative stuff. I’ve always preferred sgc to psa, and I really like what they are doing. Particularly the photos of the card in the holder (to prevent fakes) and the “make an offer” program, which is brilliant.

Bryan, call them up, they're very responsive.

+1 - never have great luck emailing them but always very helpful calling them. From my experience the same 2 guys answer the phone.

Agreed: the scans of all submitted cards available to the public as well as the offer program are obviously groundbreaking in TPG.

This!!!

New Free Sale Outlet
 

The offer program in particular is exciting!

Hey Chuck, I have no concerns over the pristine holder, none of my cards would be graded as such. It all boils down to uniformity with the other SGC graded cards. I have nearly 100 Detroit OJs, all in SGC holders with green label. I have a couple upgrades ready to be sent in that will now stick out. When displaying the collection a good looking slab with a uniform look will help put the emphasis on the cards as it should be. I'm very stubborn on uniformity in all my hobbies, be it cards, coins, etc. I recognize it as a fault. This label change will result in some of us being less loyal to SGC. I'd be satisfied if they simply retained the green border. Maybe I'll be less opposed with time.

Change....wretched " Change"
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...S_NEW_0001.JPG

...I'm still aggravated that they moved the damned barcode in 1999....


...

Lucky you. I find the flips a huge distraction as my eyes naturally draw towards them. That's one of the main reasons I collect raw.

This I can understand. I have definitely learned over the years that many collectors strive for that element of uniformity.

As a side note, I think the best and most positive thing out of all this is that SGC is not going down without a fight. Not that they were on the way out, necessarily, but things weren't looking good -- SGC was stagnant as a company, while PSA had been introducing improvements to their products and site left and right.

It now seems like SGC is making a concerted effort to improve their product and market share, and that can only be a good thing for us collectors. The more competition for PSA and BGS, the better (even if SGC will never be as big as PSA, they don't have to be).

I also hope the improvements to the actual holder and plastic mold will forever eliminate the dreaded "slipping the gasket" epidemic that we saw with many SGC encapsulated cards, especially the glorious cabinet cards we all know and love. I thought I saw a mention of improvements to the holder itself, hopefully being similar to the PSA slab in which the rear portion fits inside of the front.

I am pulling for SGC to succeed with all of this.

You get to feel, touch, and smell the cards. Maybe you're the lucky one. ;)

Me too... ;)

Until people start using it to offer $10 on $100 cards...

Do anyone know for sure if the actual holder itself is being redesigned? or if it's just the label?

Surely they’ll allow a minimum offer to be input by the seller, similar to eBay. I hope...

But then you'd have to price or value every card you own in SGC flips on their website for that to happen. Otherwise, how would the website know what your card is worth to you/the market and what a fair offer for it is? I bet a lot of collectors will just turn that option off after getting a couple of offers, since many never plan to sell their own cards.

Good point. Hopefully SGC is taking all of this crucial stuff into consideration.

For any card graded gem mint 10, you should have the option of embedding a polished diamond stone on the flap, next to the grade.

It’s obvious there are many different opinions regarding the color of the flip and that not everyone will be happy, regardless what color they use. With that in mind, SGC should offer whatever color the customer chooses. Doesn’t seem like it would be very difficult for them to do, nor cost prohibitive. It could be as simple as an option to fill out on the submission form. So if I’ve submitted a bunch of ‘48-49 Leaf, I could ask for a particular color...say blue for example. For my ‘52 Topps I would like to have green ones. Then I could identify a card from far away (identity the year/issue anyway). Of course it may be a little more difficult to sell a rainbow-colored collection when the time comes...lol.

Just like they do on the BST. At least prior to making an offer you won't have to read that the card is undergraded or that it's really not OC when it's OC.

As an aging fart I appreciate the larger numbers.

Me too but there is an abundance of OCD collectors. These changes sometimes cause them nightmares. For me, change is normal, but not so for many. Whenever we make any slight modification to the board I get PMs about it changing....That said every company has to roll with the times. :)

If the old label is better, maybe someone will come up with an HES (high end slab) sticker or a HELL (high end label logo) sticker to put on there....

Although I haven't thought it through,it seems to me that this is actually not a bad idea in general, although I would tweak it. Leave the flip as it is, but have another flip, identical in format, that gets affixed over the top (on the holder) and is readily removable. This could not be the same color as any of the "official" flips, or if it was, it would need some distinguishing characteristic so it could not be perceived as official if removed and used improperly. Then all of your cards would have the same look, in a manner endorsed by the grading company and in a format that all know, but you still could remove your own labels when selling so that the buyer: a) can see the original and official flip to determine it's legit, and b)would not be turned away by your choice of fuschia and yellow. Again, it should be readily removable so as to not leave a bunch of residue or otherwise make it hard to get the holder back to its initial look.

As suggested, it seems to me the "over-flips" could easily be printed in a variety of colors at low cost and with little production time added. Maybe make them tamper evident--I dunno, just spit-ballin here. Personally, I have no concern about the colors, fonts, style, etc. of the flip, but I see where it makes a difference to a lot of folks here, so maybe we can refine the particulars if people are interested in the concept. After all and as observed, others are already slapping stickers on these slabs--why not have some personalized decorating done at the ground level?

I think it’s worked out pretty well with the Heritage “make an offer program.”

I wondered that myself.

Nowhere has it been stated that the holder is redesigned, but the first thread that broke this news was all about the "new slab" so everyone went with that.

If you look at the edges of the slab on the previous photo with the new flip, it does look like the seam is slightly different, but it could just be photoshop touchups making it look more clean for the website.

A more innovative solution would be to simply reverse the holder halves, using the current front as the back and the back as the front. Let all the grade-heads flip the card to see the flip. Those that buy the card and not the holder won't care. And those that buy the holder will flip having to flip the card to see the flip. :D

In an ideal world (for me), the flip would give an opinion on authenticity and alteration status only, letting collectors decide on the grade. In reality, though, that will never happen because too many people want their opinions spoon fed to them by someone else. The number of people I have met in my life who happily let someone else do their thinking for them is staggering. I'm not at all saying all slabbies are idiots, I'm just giving a "bonafide" grade lets the idiots into the party.

I like the change to a 1-10 grading scale. But that gold label for pristine cards is hideous. A simple "10" is enough.

I would be fascinated to know what research they did that led to the decision to go with these new flips.

I get your point... but the grade really helps me when purchasing online. Unless you can see the card in person and move it around in the light it is really hard to judge sometimes. If you're buying 8, 9, or 10s it probably doesn't matter but if you're in the low-mid grades like me there could be any number of flaws that just don't come across in all pictures. If something looks like a 6 and is a 6 then great... if something looks like a 6 and is a 3 then that is when I start asking more questions or asking for better pictures.

I'm more interested in comprehensive grading notes online than the grade itself. If there is a surface wrinkle or light crease that a photo isn't picking up I'd like to know.

I agree. This would be incredible.

Research? You're kidding, right?! (Sorry - I just couldn't resist!)

Probably this much -

"Beckett has a backlog, what are they doing that we aren't?"
"well, their labels are different colors"
"Could it really be that easy?"
"Maybe? Who knows"
"Ok, lets do that"

Personally I care about the card and could care less about the flip.

I expect that SGC will offer the new flip as a courtesy (free of charge) to

any collector with several hundred of the older flips so the the uniformity of our

(OCD collectors') collections can be maintained.:rolleyes::eek:

Another earth shaking brand changeup by SGC.
 

Meh.

One thing I would like, is for SGC not put "hand cut" on all W cards. Not all W cards are hand cut strip cards.