With the recent popularity boom in sports and trading cards, new companies have been popping up at a rapid pace in various parts of the industry. Grading is no different. Most of the companies listed below are relatively new on the scene, and trying to disrupt the grading market. Most collectors will advise you to stick with the current big four, but you may find one of these companies to suit your needs. Things you’ll want to consider are accuracy, pricing, turnaround time, slab quality and whether or not the company adds value to your cards.
The grading companies listed are in alphabetical order, and this is in no way a measure of preference. We may review some of these companies in the near future to give you a more in depth look at the grading process and results.
GMA Grading
GMA has been around since 2003 and is currently located in Florida. Their focus appears to be on cheap and quick. GMA recently revamped their slab and it’s much more attractive now than it was in the past, but the slabs themselves have been known to be of poor quality. They have different price points based on turn around time and the number of cards you’re sending in. The lowest being $8 for a 100+ card order with a 25 business day turnaround. As far as I know, this is the lowest price offered anywhere. GMA features half points in their grading scale, but only below 9.
Forensic Card Grading
FCG was created in 2021 in Texas as a response to a number of complaints about some of the existing large grading companies. Their areas of focus are timeliness, consistency in grading and pricing, and the biggest one, transparency. Their QR code to see the actual grading sheet to see why your card was graded as it was is an industry first and a major selling point. The service is 10 days turnaround and every card is the same price. FCG features half points in their overall grading scale.
Hybrid Grading Approach
HGA is a Tennessee based company that was created in 2020. They use both human graders and AI technology to grade, which has definitely led to some ‘interesting’ results. The company offers custom labels with several options, including one to match the specific card graded. They also offer horizontal slabs, which most others do not. Their pricing model is based on number of days to grade the card, with a 2 day option, down to a 60 day option. They also charge additional fees for different labels and horizontal slabs. HGA features half points in their overall grading scale.
International Sports Authentication
ISA has been around a little longer than most of these companies, having been founded in 2010 in Michigan. The company initially prided itself on being a low cost alternative to the big graders at the time, but now they’re relatively inline with most graders that deal in bulk. They do however grade TCG cards at a discount. Their slab leaves something to be desired with a black insert holding the card, with a blue and white label that looks like a knock-off of PSA. ISA features a full point overall grading scale.