PSA vs SGC vs CGC vs BGS

Every major grader uses a ten-point scale, which makes their labels look interchangeable. They are not. The companies differ on whether there is a grade above Gem Mint 10, whether half grades exist at the top, whether the card's component scores are printed on the label, and what the label looks like. The table below collects the main differences from each company's published scale or, where the official page could not be read, from reference sources listed at the end.

The comparison table

PSA

PSA's scale is the reference point most collectors know: GEM-MT 10 at the top, MINT 9 below it, and no separate “pristine” tier. Instead of subgrades, PSA expresses a specific weakness with a qualifier such as OC (off-center) or MK (marks) printed after the number. Heritage Auctions' glossary describes PSA as the first widely accepted grading service and the standard-setter for graded cards. Our PSA scale guide has the full grade table.

SGC

SGC launched in 1998 as Sportscard Guaranty Corporation and now uses only the initials. Reference site All Vintage Cards notes that it moved from a 1–100 scale to the 1–10 scale in 2018, that current slabs carry a black label, and that its top tier is split in two: Pristine 10 (50/50 centering, no visible wear under magnification, gold label) above Gem Mint 10 (55/45 or better). In early 2024 Collectors Holdings — the parent of PSA — acquired SGC, which was described at the time as remaining an independent grading brand. The submission address given for SGC is in Boca Raton, Florida.

CGC Cards

CGC Cards publishes a detailed grade-by-grade scale on its own site. It grades trading-card-game, sports and non-sports cards on a 1–10 scale with half grades from 1.5 to 9.5 (Mint+ 9.5, NM/Mint+ 8.5 and so on). At the top, Pristine 10 is reserved for cards flawless under 10x magnification with 50/50 centering and flawless color and registration; Gem Mint 10 allows roughly 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back. CGC also lists centering limits further down — 60/40 front and 90/10 back for Mint 9, 65/35 for NM/Mint 8, 70/30 for Near Mint 7. Legacy “CGC Trading Cards Perfect 10” and “CSG Perfect 10” grades are retired but keep their status. Autographs are graded separately from 5 to 10, without half grades. Game-specific notes are in our guides to Pokémon card grading and Magic: The Gathering card grading.

Beckett: BGS and BVG

Beckett's distinguishing feature is subgrades. A BGS label shows four component scores — centering, corners, edges and surface — each from 1 to 10, and the overall grade is derived from them. A card with 10 in all four subgrades receives the Black Label Pristine 10, introduced in 2014 and, according to Beckett's statistics as reported by All Vintage Cards, awarded to under 1% of cards graded; a Pristine 10 with one subgrade below 10 gets a gold label. Gold labels also cover Gem Mint 9.5, silver labels 8.5 and 9, and white labels everything else. Vintage cards from 1981 and earlier go through BVG, which assigns only an overall grade. Beckett Media is based in Plano, Texas, and Wikipedia notes that Beckett Grading holds exclusive rights to grade cards from the Topps Vault.

What the differences mean in practice

• A “10” is not one thing. SGC, CGC and BGS all have a tier above Gem Mint 10; PSA does not. Compare like with like when you read auction results.
• Half grades sit in different places. CGC and Beckett use 9.5; PSA's half grades sit below its 9.
• Subgrades are a Beckett feature. If you want the centering or surface score on the label, BGS is the only one of the four that prints it as standard.
• Crossovers are possible. PSA's crossover service will grade a card inside another company's holder and re-slab it only if it meets the minimum PSA grade you set; otherwise it comes back in the original holder, and the full fee is still charged.