Beckett Graded Services (BGS) is one of the leading third-party grading companies for collectibles such as trading cards, comics, and other memorabilia. Founded in 1992 by former magazine publisher James Beckett, BGS pioneered the modern collectible grading industry which has since grown into a multi-billion dollar market.
BGS evaluates collectibles on various attributes and assigns numerical grades based on their quality and condition. For trading cards, a 0-10 scale is used with 10 being a perfect gem mint condition. Additional sub-grades are also given for centering, corners, edges and surface which provide more granular quality assessment. Once graded, items are sealed in tamper-evident plastic holders which clearly display the assigned grades for easy verification.
This standardized grading system has provided much needed transparency and consistency to the collectibles marketplace. Prior to third party authentication, condition assessments were highly subjective without an agreed upon framework. The BGS grading scale is now widely recognized and trusted by collectors, dealers and auction houses around the world. Graded items routinely sell for significantly higher prices compared to raw ungraded equivalents of the same card or comic book.
While BGS handles a variety of collectibles, they are best known for their expertise in the sports card industry. Major League Baseball cards from the late 19th century up until the modern era are some of the most actively collected and graded items submitted to BGS. Iconic rookie cards of stars like Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and many more routinely achieve high grades which command top dollar at auction.
BGS maintains rigorous quality control standards throughout the entire grading process to ensure assigned grades are accurate and consistent over time. Items submitted for grading first undergo a multi-point inspection under bright lighting by BGS authenticators. Using high powered loupes and microscopes, every aspect of the item is carefully examined for flaws, defects or signs of doctoring/alteration.
Authenticators document their findings and proposed numerical grade assessments. The items then go through a peer review process where other experienced graders will re-examine questionable submissions or those with proposed high grades. If there is any discrepancy between assigned grades, the item goes before a final review by BGS grading experts. Only after passing this multi-step vetting will the item be officially graded and encapsulated.
Once the grading is completed, BGS utilizes sophisticated tamper-evident holder technology to seal and protect the collectible. Micro-perforated security seals and holographic labels further deter counterfeiting or tampering after the fact. The holder displays the assigned grade, ID barcode and certifying authenticator’s initials upfront for easy at-a-glance verification of authenticity.
BGS has also implemented several anti-fraud measures to uphold the integrity of the grading process. Advanced digital imaging technology allows them to create a “fingerprint” record of every graded item to cross-reference against any suspect re-submissions. They also work closely with law enforcement to help identify counterfeiters and cooperated in the takedown of several international forgery rings over the years.
For serious collectors, BGS maintains an online Population Report detailing census data for every card graded in their system. This allows people to see exactly how many examples exist of a certain card grade, which can provide valuable context when assessing condition rarity and market value. For example, a Mickey Mantle rookie card earning a BGS 9.5 would be significantly scarcer and worth more than a PSA 9 copy of the same card.
In addition to individual card and comic book grading, BGS also offers submission services tailored for complete set registry and inventory purposes. Entire vintage and modern sports card sets can be verified and encapsulated for long-term preservation. They also handle grading of larger collectibles like jerseys, bats, balls, photos and documents. BGS has even certified rare historical items such as signed copies of the Declaration of Independence.
Over the years third party grading has been both praised for bringing needed structure to the hobby, but also criticized by some as enabling speculation. Regardless, there is no denying the immense impact BGS has had on the collectibles industry since pioneering the service in the early 1990s. They remain the gold standard for authentication and have graded millions of items worth billions of dollars that now securely reside in their tamper-evident holders.
