As a collector, for a long time I’ve struggled with coming to a consensus on who to send my cards to for grading. And believe me, I’ve tried them all!
PSA is of course the market leader, and in theory adds the most value to your cards. But I’ve experienced absolute horror stories with grading inconsistency.
I’m talking PSA 8’s regrading as 10’s, which could have cost me thousands.
Beckett with their elusive ‘Black Label’ can create cards worth a fortune. Yet they’re so hard to get, and they’ve dropped massively in popularity in recent years.
CGC is quite cost-effective, yet they famously dropped their unique blue labels (which collectors liked), for bog standard black ones. Nothing sets them apart from the crowd anymore.
Now, you might be saying, but these are all US grading companies!
You’re right, but with multiple ‘middleman services’ available in the UK, it’s easier than ever to get your cards graded abroad.
But there’s also a reason why perhaps you shouldn’t…
There’s an innovative company here in the UK, that’s given us a real, long-term alternative:
ACE GRADING —> (Use code CARDCOLLECTOR for 5% off your entire submission)
Here are the 3 main reasons I’ve switched 100% of my grading to ACE:
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Their labels are incredible
Ace’s main USP is their ‘Ace Labels’. These are custom labels that are designed to extend the artwork of the card onto the label. A clever concept hey?! They understand that slabs are display pieces, and we as collectors love to showcase our collections.
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Their grading is accurate
Ace use a combination of technology and the human eye to grade cards. This massively increases their grading accuracy, and helps us as collectors trust their scores. They also back it up with transparent Grading Reports, so you can actually see why a card got a particular score. PSA could learn a thing or two from this approach.
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They actually add value
One of the biggest challenges UK grading companies have faced is that because the market hasn’t adopted them, their slabs don’t actually add value to the card – even if they’re 10’s. Ace on the other hand has experienced wide-spread adoption here in the UK, therefore people want to buy their slabs and appreciate their added value.
What About The Other UK Grading Companies?
Here’s the deal. During 2020, the demand for PSA grading went insane and their lead time reached 18 months +.
A few select entrepreneur’s here spotted the opportunity and started their own UK-based grading companies.
The main ones were: Pokegrade, Tree Frog Grading, Majesty & Get Graded.
Although their efforts are very commendable, and some have achieved more growth than others, they haven’t experienced mass adoption by the UK market, and in truth I don’t think they ever will.
Ace Grading set themselves apart with their unique labels. Unfortunately, these other companies just don’t have a strong enough USP to get enough people to use them. It’s not enough to try and compete on grading accuracy, or price. Collectors need more than that.
Now ultimately, if you like their slab designs and dig their branding, then by all means grade your cards with these alternatives!
But if you actually want a UK grading company that can add value to your cards, Ace Grading is the one to use.
As a reader, I’ve also negotiated a sweet little discount for you. Use code CARDCOLLECTOR at checkout to save 5% off your entire order.
