November '22 Grading Recap
December 2nd, 2022
- Overall grading activity was roughly flat when comparing the average cards graded per business day in November to October.
- On an absolute basis, PSA output dropped 5%, SGC dropped 13%, and Beckett dropped 3%; CSG (+17%) was the only major grader to see increased activity
- TCG activity at PSA experienced a huge spike (389k cards / 39% of cards graded) as the company works through submissions related to its $15 promotion in October.
- Overall grading activity was roughly flat when comparing the average cards graded per business day in November to October.
- On an absolute basis, PSA output dropped 5%, SGC dropped 13%, and Beckett dropped 3%; CSG (+17%) was the only major grader to see increased activity
- TCG activity at PSA experienced a huge spike (389k cards / 39% of cards graded) as the company works through submissions related to its $15 promotion in October.
November Grading Summary
Items Graded - Monthly in 2022
Items Graded - Monthly in 2022 - Excluding PSA
Category Comparison
TCG Cards Graded at PSA
Items Graded by Era
Gem Rate Breakdown by Era
November 2022 PSA Grading Recap
- PSA graded 994,244 items during November.
- PSA output dropped by 5% overall and was flat when comparing cards graded per business day.
- TCG activity spiked (389k cards / 39% of cards graded) as the company works through submissions related to its $15 promotion during October.
- PSA graded 994,244 items during November.
- PSA output dropped by 5% overall and was flat when comparing cards graded per business day.
- TCG activity spiked (389k cards / 39% of cards graded) as the company works through submissions related to its $15 promotion during October.
Category Summary
TCG carried PSA activity in November
Set Summary
1999 Pokemon Game reclaims the top spot
- Added to the list in November: 2021 Donruss Optic football, 2022 Pokemon Sword and Shield Brilliant Stars, 2021 Pokemon Swsh Black Star Promo, 2022 Pokemon Go, 2000 Pokemon Rocket, 2021 Prizm basketball
- Dropping from the list: 2021 Mosaic & Donruss football, 2020 Select football, 2020 Prizm basketball and football, and 1986 Fleer basketball
Player Summary
Pokemon activity jumps
- Added to the list in November: Blastoise, Umbreon, Venusaur
- Dropping from the list: Joe Burrow, Mac Jones, and LeBron James
Card Summary - Sports & Other
1990 Fleer Jordan claims top spot
Card Summary - TCG
Ultra-modern Pokemon maintains hold of the leaderboard
What's Next for PSA?
- PSA had a solid month driven by its strength in TCG. That momentum appears to be fueled by a strong reception to its $15 promo during the fall. That same offer was extended to modern sports cards - and those results should begin to materialize in December and January. Both offers are now available in December as PSA tries to maintain a healthy backlog and visibility into demand.
- November momentum (orders from both $15 promos) should carry into December and we anticipate December grading activity will fall into a similar range as the past few months (with a slight holiday adjustment).
November 2022 SGC Grading Recap
- SGC graded 70,686 cards during November - a 13% decrease vs October.
- SGC graded 70,686 cards during November - a 13% decrease vs October.
Category Summary
Soccer and Pokemon were the only two categories to increase during November
Set Summary
2021 Prizm basketball claims the top spot
- Added to the list in November: 2021 Donruss Optic basketball and 2022 Topps Update baseball
- Dropping from the list: 2021 Mosaic football and 1961 Topps baseball
Player Summary
Michael Jordan narrowly hangs on to the top spot
- Added to the list in November: Julio Rodriguez, Josh Allen, and LeBron James
- Dropping from the list: Mac Jones, Shohei Ohtani, and Kobe Bryant
Card Summary
What's Next for SGC?
- SGC results dipped in November; however, the company likely ended the month with optimism for December as it announced a $9 special in partnership with Topps. That partnership related to the 2022 Bowman Chrome release appears to have been well received and December results could benefit if the enthusiasm materializes.
Other Charts - CSG
Category Summary
Set Summary
Player Summary
What's Next for CSG/CGC?
- CSG continues to build momentum after seeing a meaningful drop in activity during the summer. While activity remains below previous highs, CSG remains competitive during a period of heightened promotional activity and partnership announcements.
- CGC has been very consistent in 2022 but showed some signs of slowing momentum during November. It is probably not a coincidence that CGC saw momentum slow at the same time PSA reaches new highs on the TCG front.
- Overall, both CSG and CGC are keeping relevant as the market recalibrates. Like most of the category, we would expect December results to track closely with November.
Other Charts - Beckett
Category Summary
What's Next for Beckett?
- Beckett saw fairly consistent grading activity during November and was able to keep competitive with a holiday promotion that ran most of the month.
- Overall, Beckett has increased its visibility and continues to piece together momentum. In the near term, demand is likely to remain near current levels especially as the competition across pricing and partnership intensifies.