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Last Updated On: July 4th, 2024
We’re living in a somewhat static moment so far as sports card grading companies are concerned. Prior behemoths and hobby mainstays like BGS are seeing their formerly rock-solid position in the hobby threatened. Others, like PSA (and, to a lesser extent SGC), are rising, establishing a virtual monopoly on quality grading that consumers trust.
But we’re starting to see some ripples form under the surface. Enter TAG Grading, a maverick grading company that has transformed the way we think about grading, from the actual submission process to the delivery of a grade.
In particular, it feels as though a contender like TAG Grading might be able to harness broader technological changes to offer a still superior product. After all, competition breeds innovation and benefits that are passed on to the consumer. TAG Grading’s innovative approach is a breath of fresh air in the grading industry, inspiring hope for a more efficient and reliable future.
In this post, we’ll delve into TAG and its potential to disrupt the card grading market. Despite being a recent entrant, TAG is striving to differentiate itself from recent disappointments like HGA. We’ll explore why TAG’s commitment to transparency and technologically sound grading could shake up the game, sparking a new era of innovation and consumer trust.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Overview: Who is TAG Grading?
TAG Grading was borne out of a simple, albeit pervasive, question: why is there such a lack of consistency across different grading platforms? Shouldn’t a gem mint be a gem mint, regardless of grading service? And why do so many fake cards pass muster and vice-versa?
Unfortunately, we know that thanks to the human factor (i.e., humans grading cards, typically by eyesight), inconsistent grading is simply the cost of doing business.
To combat this problem, TAG founder Steven Kass spent a decade “creat[ing] a technology that would address the industry’s problems with accuracy and consistency.” The end result was a “100% automated grading system.”
To date, TAG Grading has provided grades for some 30,000 baseball cards and around 15,000 basketball cards. It’s not nearly a top-three grader yet, but has shown some muscle and clearly separated itself from lower-budget options. Additionally, TAG Grading is one of a few services to provide a nifty grading warranty in the event a TAG-graded card is mis-graded, or even inauthentic.
Types of Cards Accepted (& Not Accepted)
Currently, TAG accepts sports cards, trading card games (a la Pokémon), and entertainment cards. The following caveats exist for any card submission:
- Only pack-pulled autograph cards are accepted (in other words, after-market autos are not)
- No die-cut, acetate, lenticular, printing press, sketch, or memorabilia cards are accepted (so no thick game patch cards)
- Cards must be printed between 1989-Present
TAG also mentions that Yu-Gi-Oh!, thicker stock cards, and memorabilia cards are soon to be accepted for grading.
TAG Grading
With this background in mind, let’s talk about what separates TAG Grading from other services in the hobby.
Key Differentiators
Grading Scale
The first differentiator worth mentioning is TAG Grading’s scale. Technically, three figures are involved in this one: a “grade,” “condition,” and “score.”
Nothing to hide with the grade; it operates on a 1-10 scale with half-points beginning at 8.5 (there is no 9.5). Additionally, there are two “10s” – a Gem Mint and Pristine (similar to SGC and BGS).
TAG differentiates its Gem Mints and Pristines based on what it calls a card’s “score.” A card’s score operates on a 1-1000 scale, with each grade falling somewhere in a score range. For example, a Pristine card is one that earns a score of 990-1000, while Gem Mints are for cards at 950-989.
The final figure, “condition,” is the description of the card’s score (Gem Mint, Pristine, Near Mint, etc.). Pristine cards, for instance, make up less than 1% of the service’s overall output. This is exactly what we’d want to see from a grading company; it suggests TAG isn’t handing out Pristines willy-nilly.
Consistency
One of the key motivators behind Kass’ decision to start TAG was to address issues of grading consistency within the hobby. As we noted above, this inconsistency is due in large part thanks to human error involved in grading: perhaps a grader’s eye didn’t catch a fray mark in a card’s corner (or worse, didn’t pick up on the fact that a card is an obvious fake).
By using state of the art digital imaging and technology, TAG Grading takes quite a bit of the guesswork out of grading. Here’s how:
First, we start with this classic card from the Junk Wax Era: the Ken Griffey 1989 Star Rookie Upper Deck. To the untrained eye, the card’s surface looks clean, devoid of scratches or other errors. Even to the trained eye it might look the part of a perfect card.
But TAG lets graders go under the surface. Check out how this card looks when TAG applies its Photometric Stereoscopic Imaging technology:
Right off the bat, we see numerous imperfections jump off the screen. A scratch right across Griffey’s jugular, a fisheye to the left of the bat, and a slew of scratches and creases.
It’s this technology that separates TAG from the rest of the pack. And the best part? TAG makes all of its grading information readily available.
Transparency with DIG Report
In addition to the technology-enhanced consistency, TAG’s commitment to transparency is a real feather in its cap.
For starters, TAG adopts the half-grading scale, which does well to alert a collector of where a card’s faults rest, but without actually revealing the issue in and of itself. For instance, a BGS card might get dinged for “surface issues,” but BGS does not clarify whether the issue is a fisheye, scratch, or print defect. This isn’t just a BGS issue; neither PSA nor SGC provide much info about why a card earned a grade, beyond the rubrics outlined on their sites.
Then there’s TAG. Each card comes with a DIG (Digital Imaging & Grading) Report. Similar to upstart Edge Grading in this regard, to say these reports are comprehensive is an undersell. Not only do DIG Reports include the scan discussed above, but also a full service detailing of a card’s centering, edge crispness, and line-item surface defects:
Importantly, a DIG Report exists independently of whoever owns the card, thanks to the QR code attached to the slab. This means any interested collector could feasibly access a card’s DIG Report to get the deets on a grade before making an offer.
Not only does the DIG Report contribute to peace of mind for the collector, but it also serves an important educational purpose. While many services shroud their grading processes in secrecy, DIG Reports shed light on what graders look for in making their determination. And any service that sheds light on an otherwise esoteric process is a win for consumers.
Slab Kits
Recently, we covered how tricky it can be to nail the grading submission process. TAG Grading takes the guesswork out of the process by sending you everything you need to get the job done. TAG ships you a slab kit containing sleeves, a deck box, and safe case, along with instructions to get the job done right.
Frankly, it hits that sweet spot between struggling to do the grading yourself and shelling out cash to pay a group grader to do it for you.
Packaging & Slab Features
TAG takes its embrace of transparency to the nth degree, and not just when it comes to grading. Even the slab is fully transparent; there are no paper strips added with the card’s details printed on it, no colorful borders.
Instead, the slab has its details etched directly onto the slab. Also, each slab comes with a QR code printed on it, which contains the link to the card’s DIG Report as mentioned previously.
Finally, the packaging the card comes in post-grade is pretty slick. The black foil mimics the feel of ripping a pack for the first time, essentially giving collectors the chance to pull a card from a pack twice.
Check out the final product captured by Luke, a collector on Instagram @hawsnhabspc, who revealed his first TAG grading order in the video below:
He also took aim at PSA’s upcharges, noting TAG never upcharges its customers:
In my opinion, the aesthetics of the TAG slab are unmatched. The case is crystal clear and free of colorful labels that can take away from the design of the card. TAG also offers full transparency through the DIG report. The DIG report offers full detail on the reasons why your card received the grade it did. Going forward, whenever I grade cards for my PC, I’ll be choosing TAG.
I don’t ever have to worry about upcharges after the fact. I also love that each card comes in its own packaging that gives a similar feeling to opening up a box of cards.
Pricing & Service Levels
TAG’s pricing levels exist on two different tiers: Economy (30-40 day turnaround with a 25 card minimum) and Standard (5-10 day turnaround with no minimums). Each tier consists of three different levels:
- Verify costs $8/card at the Economy tier and $12/card at the Standard tier. Crucially, Verify only authenticates a card without providing a grade.
- Grade costs $12/card at the Economy tier and $15/card at the Standard tier. At this level, collectors receive grades and a DIG Report, but the card is not ranked on the 1-1000 scale.
- Score costs $24/card at the Economy Tier and $30/card at the Standard tier. This level provides collectors with access to all of TAG’s features, including the 1-1000 scale and a leaderboard where collectors can follow where their card ranks among similar ones graded by TAG.
All in all, these prices are extremely competitive with the big-name graders. But again, this is because TAG is not quite yet a household grader like PSA, BGS, or SGC.
How are TAG Graded Cards Valued in the Marketplace?
So yes, TAG Grading offers some extremely innovative and compelling products that could shake up the grading game. But have collectors taken to it yet?
One way to gauge TAG’s reception in the market is by comparing TAG-graded cards to others in the hobby. Let’s look at a few:
| Card & Condition | TAG Sale Price & Date | PSA Sale Price & Date | BGS/SGC Sale Price & Date |
| 2005 Topps Justin Verlander Gem Mint Condition | $76 – Jun. 2024 | $217 – Jun. 2024 | $86 – Jun. 2024 |
| 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 2 Connor Bedard Young Guns Gem Mint Condition | $896 – May 2024 | $937 – May 2024 | $713 – Apr. 2024 |
| 2022 Bowman Chrome Elly De La Cruz Mega Box Mojo Refractor Auto Gem Mint Condition | $380 – Jun. 2024 | $450 – Mar. 2024 | N/A |
| 2003-04 Topps – NBA Draft #221 LeBron James Gem Mint Condition | $1,650 – Mar. 2024 | $1,427 – Mar. 2024 | $690 – Mar. 2024 |
Judging by these four cards, TAG’s values compared to other graders is something of a mixed bag. In the instance of the LeBron Topps RC card, TAG leads the pack in recent sales. However, with other cards the grader lags behind the competition.
What’s important to note is that TAG isn’t consistently outpaced by the competition. Far from it; that the cards above all tend to be in the ballpark of one another is a good sign (with the exception of the LeBron BGS card, which is more evidence of a concerning trend we’ve been monitoring closely).
Summary: TAG is Worth a Try
Ultimately, one must commend TAG for its efforts to bring sports cards grading into the 21st century. The technology is remarkable, the transparency a breath of fresh air, and consistency in grading a major boon.
In many ways, TAG Grading feels like the service of the future, what with its crystal clear slabs and futuristic take on the process. It’s an ideal disruptor in a hobby that often prioritizes tradition.
Consider that, once upon a time, department stores were all the rage. There’s a reason the Thanksgiving Day Parade is sponsored by Macy’s; these behemoths were the cream of the consumer’s crop. That is until a small entity known as Amazon took advantage of gaps in the marketplace to offer something better.
That’s not to say TAG is the next Amazon; the fledgling company still has a ways to go. But we’re already seeing TAG’s forward thinking pushing PSA to evolve, with the latter introducing ‘Grader Notes’ with some of their service levels. It’s a rather lazy attempt by PSA when compared with TAG’s super detailed DIG Report, but a step in the right direction.
With reasonable prices and a model that places transparency and trust first, TAG has all the ingredients to become a real player in the hobby, especially as titans like BGS take a step back.
What’s your personal experience with TAG? Let us know in the comments below!