August '22 Grading Recap
September 3rd, 2022Due to changes Beckett made to its pop report during July, GemRate is not reporting monthly growth rates for Beckett in the August update.
- The total cards graded across all major graders declined roughly 10% in August vs July.
- TCG, baseball, football, and soccer outpaced overall category trends.
- PSA graded 895k items during August - down 11% from July.
- Momentum improved at SGC and CSG following the July declines; however, both results remain below recent highs.
- The total cards graded across all major graders declined roughly 10% in August vs July.
- TCG, baseball, football, and soccer outpaced overall category trends.
- PSA graded 895k items during August - down 11% from July.
- Momentum improved at SGC and CSG following the July declines; however, both results remain below recent highs.
August Grading Summary
Items Graded - Weekly in 2022
Items Graded - By Week Since May - Excluding PSA
Category Comparison
Items Graded by Era
Gem Rate Breakdown by Era
August 2022 PSA Grading Recap
- PSA graded 895,193 items during August - down 11% vs July.
- Baseball and soccer saw the largest increases in activity during August.
- Vintage cards (1970s and earlier) saw grading activity nearly double in August.
- PSA graded 895,193 items during August - down 11% vs July.
- Baseball and soccer saw the largest increases in activity during August.
- Vintage cards (1970s and earlier) saw grading activity nearly double in August.
Category Summary
Baseball, soccer and multi-sport increased in August
Set Summary
Few changes in August as Pokemon owns the leaderboard
- 1999 Pokemon Game held onto the top spot for the seventh straight month
- TCG claimed 9 of the top 10 spots in August
- Added to the list in August: 2020 Prizm football and 2000 Pokemon Rocket
- Dropping from the list: 2020 Mosaic football and 1990 Marvel Universe
Player Summary
Top players hold steady
- Added to the list in August: Zion Williamson
- Dropping from the list: Joe Burrow
Card Summary
Pokemon momentum continues
- Added to the list in August: 2020 Pokemon S&S Vivid Voltage Jirachi #119 & Celebi #9 and 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr Star Rookie #1
- Dropping from the list: 2021 Topps Jo Adell #43, 1989 Hoops Michael Jordan #200 and 1992 Topps Shaquille O'Neal #362
What's Next for PSA?
- Much of August looked similar to July until activity began to slow towards the end of the month. The slowdown could be a sign that PSA has just about completed the backlog. As a result, some are wondering if lower pricing is coming in September.
- PSA had a meaningful buffer to assess demand thresholds while the backlog cleared. That said, PSA is likely sitting on a number of hypotheses rather than set plans; it would not be a surprise to see them start conservative and phase its initial efforts to drive demand. A logical first move would be to open the $30 value service to everyone (currently it's only available to Club members). Beyond that, PSA will likely test category/era specific specials similar to the one offered around the National - that reach beyond Club members.
- Many have wondered what grading demand would look like once the backlog has cleared. September should be our first look.
August 2022 SGC Grading Recap
- SGC graded 75,397 cards during August - a 40% increase following the drop in July.
- SGC graded 75,397 cards during August - a 40% increase following the drop in July.
Category Summary
Baseball and football had the largest increases in August
Set Summary
2021 Prizm football holds onto the top spot
- Added to the list in August: 1909 Piedmont Cigarettes (T206), 2021 Donruss Optic, 2021 Donruss, and 2021 Prizm basketball
- Dropping from the list: 1957, 1959 & 2022 Topps and 2021 Topps Chrome UCL
Player Summary
- Added to the list in August: Trey Lance
- Dropping from the list: Wander Franco
Card Summary
- Added to the list in August: 1966 Topps Mickey Mantle #50, 1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter #279 and 2022 Topps Julio Rodriguez Player Var. #659
- Dropping from the list: 1959 Topps Hank Aaron #380, 1986 Topps Jerry Rice #161 and 1981 Topps Joe Montana #216
What's Next for SGC?
- SGC regained some momentum in August after seeing a large drop in demand during July. Many expected SGC to lower pricing as a result but SGC was quiet during the month. Given that SGC has seen some recovery, they may be playing a bit of defense here and waiting to see what PSA's next move is before making any broader pricing changes. Though few would be surprised if a price change was announced in early September.
Other Charts - CSG
Category Summary
Set Summary
Player Summary
What's Next for CSG/CGC?
- CSG recovered a good bit of momentum after seeing a drop in July and recently made its bulk tier more accessible with fewer cards required. Meanwhile, CGC showed increased momentum as TCG activity remains strong across the industry. Overall, it was a fairly quiet news month for the CCG companies.
Other Charts - Beckett
Category Summary
What's Next for Beckett?
- Beckett is in a transition phase - both strategically and physically. The company moved offices in August and there's good reason to believe the move was disruptive to grading activity. Additionally, Beckett also appeared to lose some momentum when PSA launched its pricing promotion in July. These factors seem to be the catalyst for what many hope is just an August blip for Beckett and not a trend.