December '24 Grading Recap
Published January 1st, 2025
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Overall grading activity was ⬇ 2% in December compared to November and ⬆ 6% YoY.
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Grading activity dipped to 1.61 million cards graded in December, down ~35k compared to November.
- PSA graded 1.22m cards - ⬇ 3% vs November, ⬇ 1% YoY.
- CGC graded 221k cards - ⬆ 1% vs November, ⬆ 84% YoY.
- SGC graded 131k cards - ⬆ 2% vs November, ⬆ 7% YoY.
- Beckett graded 38k cards - ⬆ 10% vs November, ⬇ 28% YoY.
- Overall grading activity was ⬇ 2% in December compared to November and ⬆ 6% YoY.
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Grading activity dipped to 1.61 million cards graded in December, down ~35k compared to November.
- PSA graded 1.22m cards - ⬇ 3% vs November, ⬇ 1% YoY.
- CGC graded 221k cards - ⬆ 1% vs November, ⬆ 84% YoY.
- SGC graded 131k cards - ⬆ 2% vs November, ⬆ 7% YoY.
- Beckett graded 38k cards - ⬆ 10% vs November, ⬇ 28% 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 2024 PSA Grading Recap
- PSA graded 1,222,592 items during December; total output decreased by 3% vs November and was down 1% year-over-year.
- PSA graded 1,222,592 items during December; total output decreased by 3% vs November and was down 1% year-over-year.
Category Summary
TCG had the largest impact again in December
- TCG was 46% of cards graded in December (vs 41% in November and 35% in October).
Set Summary - Sports & Other
2024 Topps Now baseball retains its top spot
Set Summary - TCG+
Pokemon 151 jumps Japanese 151 for the top spot
Player Summary - Sports & Other
Ohtani finally jumps Wembanyama for the top spot
Subject Summary - TCG
Charizard's lead narrows
Card Summary - Sports & Other
Ohtani's Topps Now dominates the leaderboard
Card Summary - TCG
Pokemon 151 Charizard EX holds onto the top spot
What's Next for PSA?
- PSA closed a strong year with over 15 million cards graded. However, November and December were slightly off pace - even with some likely incremental TCG activity from GameStop.
- That said, PSA was not particularly aggressive with its holiday promotions and seems to be taking a similar approach in January. Overall, PSA successfully increased grading activity in 2024 without significantly altering pricing expectations at any point during the year.
December 2024 SGC Grading Recap
- SGC graded 131,434 items during December; total output increased by 2% vs November and was up 7% year-over-year.
- SGC graded 131,434 items during December; total output increased by 2% vs November and was up 7% year-over-year.
Category Summary
Football and basketball grading increased in December
Set Summary
2024 Topps Chrome Update claims the top spot
Player (& Subject) Summary
Ohtani hangs onto the top spot with Skenes chasing
Card Summary
Ohtani's Topps Now dominates again
What's Next for SGC?
- SGC experienced a slight increase in grading activity during December, driven by its Topps Chrome Update promotion and a rise in basketball and football submissions. Overall, SGC closed 2024 with the biggest % increase over 2023 results of any grader.
- As we look ahead to January 2025, it's worth noting that last year, SGC achieved strong results with its $9 Bowman special, grading 157k cards. We’ll see if SGC can approach similar numbers in January 2025 without an equivalent promotion in place.
Other Graders - CGC
Category Summary
Set Summary
Card Summary
What's Next for CGC?
- CGC had a third straight month with over 200k cards graded during December. This recent 200k+ floor has been established thanks to incremental improvements in both TCG and sports.
- Overall, CGC grading activity improved meaningfully in 2024 and maintaining this 200k+ level in January could signal further growth in 2025 is within reach.
Other Charts - Beckett
Category Summary
Card Summary - Sports
Card Summary - TCG
What's Next for Beckett?
- Beckett results improved modestly in December following a meaningful decline in November.
- Overall, 2024 was a challenging year for Beckett as it continued to lose market share. Beckett was the only grading company to see a decline in YoY grading activity with momentum further declining to close the year.
- In general, Beckett has seen much of the hobby lose patience, despite long-standing support. However, the recent announcement of the new Collectivus entity has given some loyalists cautious optimism that the brand can be revitalized. While the path forward is challenging, a series of improvements in 2025 could help get the company back on track and regain support from the hobby.