The Card Grading Industry Hits New Highs: February 2025 Recap

The card grading industry reached unprecedented levels in February 2025, with overall grading activity increasing by 5% compared to January and 20% year-over-year.

According to GemRate, 1.93 million cards were graded in February, surpassing the previous record of 1.87 million set in October 2024.

I thought the economic slowdown might take a bit of a bite out of card expenditures, but collectors are stepping on the pedal and opting to spend on their cards versus groceries and gas! 🙂

Grading Company Performance

• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): PSA graded 1.44 million cards in February, marking an 11% increase from January and a 17% rise year-over-year. This surge was driven mainly by Pokémon cards, which accounted for 50% of PSA’s grading activity during the month. Notably, baseball and basketball graded cards saw a month-over-month decline.

• CGC (Certified Guaranty Company): Despite a 6% decrease from January, CGC graded 287,000 cards, reflecting a substantial 75% increase compared to last year. CGC is now the #2 grader (including TCG) behind PSA. How did they make the leap? By grading a whopping 245K+ TCG cards. Based on sports cards alone, CGC is still a distant third behind PSA and SGC.
  
• SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation): SGC experienced a 14% decline from January, grading 146,000 cards in February, with no significant change year-over-year. This is interesting as PSA now owns SGC, so the acquisition hasn’t led to more grading at SGC.
  
• Beckett: Beckett’s grading activity decreased by 17% from January, totaling 53,000 cards in February, a 19% drop compared to the previous year. Beckett is slowly becoming an afterthought in the industry.

Category Highlights

• Trading Card Games (TCG): TCG cards, particularly Pokémon, played a pivotal role in the industry’s growth. At PSA, TCGs represented 50% of all cards graded in February, up from 44% in January.
  
• Sports Cards: Football cards led the sports category, with sets like 2024 Prizm Football gaining prominence.

Notable Trends

• Pokémon Dominance: The surge in Pokémon card grading was evident, with the Japanese Terastal Fest Pokémon set experiencing accelerated grading activity.
• Top Graded Cards: In sports, Caitlin Clark’s cards topped the charts in February, while in TCG, Terastal Fest cards secured 8 of the top 10 spots.

Conclusion

February 2025 marked a milestone for the card grading industry, achieving record-breaking grading volumes. The sustained interest in Pokémon cards and the consistent performance of sports card grading indicate a robust and evolving market.​ PSA remains the leader. However, CGC is making strides in TCG. Beckett’s grading volumes are somewhat worrisome and make me wonder what longevity they have in the industry.

For a detailed breakdown and visual insights, refer to GemRate’s comprehensive February 2025 Grading Recap.