It’s been a while since we tried to demystify modern sports card grading by introducing, “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Modern Sports Card Grading.” But collectors and investors are more mystified than ever and a new grading company, CSG, has entered the fray since our last post.

CSG, part of the Certified Collectibles Group empire, global home to the leading graders and authenticators of paper money, coins, and comics is legit. Having hired away two of Beckett’s leading graders to head their department, it’s no shock CSG borrows from BGS’s grading scale and standards.

The updated — and original — Hierarchy of Modern Sports Card Grading isn’t meant to critique or comment on slab aesthetics or resale value. The only element our scale is concerned with is accurately comparing card condition grades and tiers among the Big 4 — PSA, SGC, BGS, CSG — grading companies to help collectors and investors find the best deals.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when you are using the graph:

#1. There are examples of all 4 grading companies overgrading and undergrading… but for the most part cards would or SHOULD grade out in similar tiers.

#2. PSA’s lack of half grades and a flawless tier mean ~1% to 5% of PSA Gem Mint 10’s would qualify condition wise for BGS Black Label, CSG Perfect 10, and SGC Pristine 10. The top 10% to 15% of PSA 10’s would be equivalent to a BGS 10 Pristine, CSG Pristine 10, and SGC 10 Mints that were borderline Pristine. The remaining ~80% to 90% of PSA Gem Mint 10s would be equivalent to BGS and CGS 9.5s and most SGC 10 Mints.

#3. Always buy the card and not the grade or slab. There are cards that are undergraded and overgraded by all the aforementioned grading companies.

#4. These are meant to be guidelines and not commandments. There are exceptions to every guideline.

Hope this helps! Happy card shopping and grading.

As always, I’m Freddy… and you’re welcome.