December '23 Grading Recap
Published January 2nd, 2024
- Overall grading activity was up 3% in December vs November (and up 18% YoY).
- PSA graded 1.23m cards - up 9% vs November, and up 16% YoY
- SGC graded 123k cards - up 2% vs November, and up 58% YoY
- CGC graded 165k cards - down 27% vs November, and up 9% YoY
- Beckett graded 60k cards - down 13% vs November, and up 10% YoY
- Overall grading activity was up 3% in December vs November (and up 18% YoY).
- PSA graded 1.23m cards - up 9% vs November, and up 16% YoY
- SGC graded 123k cards - up 2% vs November, and up 58% YoY
- CGC graded 165k cards - down 27% vs November, and up 9% YoY
- Beckett graded 60k cards - down 13% vs November, and up 10% YoY
December Grading Summary
December Grading Summary - Sports
December Grading Summary - TCG+
Items Graded - by Month
Items Graded - by Month - Excluding PSA
Category Comparison
TCG Cards Graded at PSA
Items Graded by Era
Gem Rate Breakdown by Era
December 2023 PSA Grading Recap
- PSA graded 1,232,673 items during December; total output increased 9% vs November and was up 16% year-over-year.
- PSA graded 1,232,673 items during December; total output increased 9% vs November and was up 16% year-over-year.
Category Summary
Basketball momentum helped pace PSA in December
- TCG was 46% of cards graded (vs 47% in November)
- Basketball, hockey, and soccer all saw meaningful growth in grading activity during December
Set Summary - Sports & Other
2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autos jumped to the top spot
Set Summary - TCG+
Pokemon Mew makes appearance at the #2 spot
Player Summary - Sports & Other
Ohtani's run at the top ends with Jordan moving back to #1
Subject Summary - TCG
Pikachu hangs on to narrow lead
Card Summary - Sports & Other
Wembanyama dominates the top of the leaderboard
Card Summary - TCG
Van Gogh Pikachu momentum increases
What's Next for PSA?
- PSA closed the year with grading volumes near record levels, comparable to those seen in Mar, Apr, and Aug 2023. The results in December were generally strong, with most categories performing well. The notable exception was football, where there was a 7% decrease compared to November.
- As previously mentioned, PSA's approach in the latter part of the year involved a more diverse and less aggressive strategy with pricing specials. Their ability to sustain heightened grading activity bodes well for the start of 2024.
December 2023 SGC Grading Recap
- SGC graded 123,370 cards during December - a 2% increase vs November and a 58% increase year-over-year.
- SGC graded 123,370 cards during December - a 2% increase vs November and a 58% increase year-over-year.
Category Summary
The big three sports helped offset a TCG dip
- Grading activity for baseball, football, and basketball all increased in December.
Set Summary
2023 Bowman moves to the top spot
Player (& Subject) Summary
Victor Wembanyama jumps to #2 on the leaderboard
Card Summary
Wembanyama moves to the top of the leaderboard
What's Next for SGC?
- SGC demonstrated notable consistency in its grading activity to close the year, maintaining a steady output of 115-130k cards graded over five consecutive months. The company's increased focus on the TCG category has yielded an incremental boost. It is worth noting that TCG experienced a modest decline in December; however, this was offset by strong performance in the major sports categories.
- Despite the December TCG hiccup, SGC seems well-positioned as it heads into 2024.
Other Graders - CGC
Category Summary
Set Summary
Card Summary
What's Next for CGC?
- In December, CGC's grading activity appeared to normalize, following a temporary surge attributed to a recent commercial partnership. This month saw TCG further dominate grading volume, with sports categories only contributing 5% to the total cards graded.
- 2023 was a year of significant transitions for CGC, including the completion of the CSG/CGC merger. With these changes behind them, it will be interesting to see if and how CGC can jumpstart the sports category.
Other Charts - Beckett
Category Summary
Card Summary - Sports
Card Summary - TCG
What's Next for Beckett?
- Beckett experienced a downturn in its results in December, primarily due to a decrease in TCG activity. Apart from a brief pricing special, Beckett's strategy remained largely the same.
- The most notable event for Beckett in 2023 was the announced but ultimately unrealized change to its grading scale. As we head into 2024, it remains to be seen whether Beckett will adopt a more aggressive strategy or is content with the status quo.