How Legit Is A Beckett/BCCG Graded Slab?

In recent years, Beckett grading has slid to a distant fourth in grading submissions (per Gem Rate), behind PSA, SGC, and CGC/CSG.

Beckett’s grading service (also known as BGS or BVG for vintage) still has the respect of collectors. However, many point to a lack of innovation and poor customer service as the reason it has lost market share in recent years.

For years, Beckett also offered a cheaper bulk collectors grading service called BCCG (or Beckett Collectors Club Grading). While Beckett no longer offers this service, its slabs are widespread throughout the industry.

BCCG offered discounted pricing, with a simplified grading tier different from SGC and PSA and a no-frills label.

Some have some not-so-nice things to say about BCCG, while many think there is some opportunity in crossing over labels, given the lack of confidence in the grading standards.

My take is that BCCG was created essentially to deceive uninformed buyers into thinking they were buying something that they were not. As mentioned, BCCG uses a “different” grading scale so that the same numerical grade that every other TPG uses doesn’t have the same meaning with BCCG. -Southsider, Collectors Forum (source)

This guide will help collectors distinguish whether a BCCG-graded slab warrants the grade on the front label.

BCCG Grading Tier Versus PSA and SGC

BCCG only offered six numerical grades ranging from 5 to 10, with no half-point grades. Collectors are often confused when comparing BCCG to other grading companies.

First, BCCG offered no Gem-Mint grade, with the highest being BCCG 10, equivalent to Mint or Better, which aligns with a 9 (Mint) at all other grading companies.

I think the biggest confusion comes with lower BCCG grades. For example, a BCCG 6, which most would think is Excellent, is just a ‘Good’ or better grade, equivalent to a PSA 2 or better.

SO WORD OF ADVICE! IGNORE The number on a BCCG slab. Pay attention to the grade wording!

BCCG Grade	BGS Equivalent Grade	PSA Equivalent Grade	SGC Equivalent Grade
BCCG 10 – Mint or Better	BGS 9 (Mint) or Better	PSA 9 (Mint) or Better	SGC 9 (Mint) or Better
BCCG 9 – Near Mint or Better	BGS 7 (NM) or Better	PSA 7 (NM) or Better	SGC 7 (NM) or Better
BCCG 8 – Excellent or Better	BGS 6 (EX) or Better	PSA 6 (EX) or Better	SCG 6 (EX) or Better
BCCG 7 – Very Good or Better	BGS 3 (VG) or Better	PSA 3 (VG) or Better	SCG 3 (VG) or Better
BCCG 6 – Good or Better	BGS 2 (Good) or Better	PSA 2 (Good) or Better	SGC 2 (Good) or Better
BCCG 5 – Poor or Better	BGS 1 (Poor) or Better	PSA 1 (Poor) or Better	SGC 1 (Poor) or Better

Are BCCG 10’s Worth Buying?

One of the more common questions regarding BCCG cards comes down to BCCG 10-graded cards.

Many see one up for auction at eBay and think they are getting a slam dunk deal, as the card is selling for a fraction of what a PSA 10 card is worth.

First, let’s remember a BCCG 10 graded card is MINT or BETTER. This SHOULD be equivalent to a PSA 9, SGC 9, BGS 9, or better. However, in my experience, this is rarely the case.

Listen to me carefully…BCCG 10’s suck. The BCCG system is a scam and is flat out ridiculous. As the above poster said, most of the time a BCCG 10 will not even cross over to a BGS 9, let alone a PSA 9 or 10. Please be advised. – Blowout Forums collector pejc300

My rule of thumb is that any BCCG card is usually graded at least 2-3 levels too high. So, a BCCG 10 is probably more like a PSA 6 or PSA 7 equivalent.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Here’s a BCCG 10-graded Michael Jordan Rookie card. Upon closer inspection, the card looks pretty good. However, there is some noticeable corner wear in the top right corner and more corner wear to a lesser extent elsewhere. Also, there is border damage on the right side of the card. Minor but noticeable.

If I had to guess a crossover grade, I’d say it’s more likely a PSA 7, which is Near-Mint and not the ‘Mint or better’ as advertised by BCCG.

Here’s a third-year Jordan Fleer card, graded BCCG 10. This one looks decent.

There is border wear on the right-hand side of the card, but I think this card could have a decent shot at crossing to a legit PSA 8. However, an 8 in PSA land is still an NM-MT grade, not MINT, as advertised by BCCG.

Collectors must also remember that this is just a guess based on photos; there’s the potential for surface wear or creases that cannot be observed with the naked eye.

So, the conclusion on crossing grades is that I would not expect a BCCG 10 to cross over to a Mint (9) with PSA or any grading company. It can happen, and I’ve heard of collectors crossing to a Gem-Mint 10, but that is rare.

Thus, when considering purchasing a BCCG 10, I’d price the value of a PSA 6 or 7 card to assess value.

Crossing Over Other BCCG Cards

I’d use the same strategy when considering the purchase of any lower-grade BCCG cards. Expect a grade 1-2 grades lower than the equivalent. This allows you to assess value conservatively and hope for the best.

Sometimes, a collector gets lucky. User gnrsportz at Blowout Forums crossed this BCCG 9 Jordan Rookie Fleer Sticker to a PSA 9. It’s a rarity, but it can happen.

Did BCCG Grade Fake Cards?

One of the consistencies I’ve noticed over the years is that I have very little evidence of BCCG ever grading fake cards. Could it have happened? Sure, but their grading standards were quite reputable.

The graders at BCCG were typically the same ones grading BGS or BVG Cards, just with a looser standard regarding numerical grades. Thus, you can be confident that a BCCG is likely not fake.

However, I have seen FAKE BCCG slabs with fake cards. Case in point: This fake Jordan Fleer rookie is in a fake BCCG slab.

Wrapping Up

So, what’s the conclusion on BCCG Grading? First of all, despite the negative collector perception, I do believe there is the potential to find some hidden gems to crossover with PSA or SGC.

Plenty of BCCG 10s are available for sale on eBay, and if you use a prudent strategy, you can find some deals.

I recommend looking at the average value of a PSA 7 equivalent card. If you find a BCCG 10 that looks clean and is priced below the value of a PSA 7 (NM), you could potentially make a good return on the chance it can grade a PSA 8 or PSA 9.

Of course, this strategy has risks, but playing it conservatively could be a good way to find discounted cards.

What are your thoughts on BCCG? Have you had experience crossing over to PSA or SGC?

Let us know below, or feel free to discuss at our forum.