October 2025 Grading Market Report

A Walk It Off Sports Cards Breakdown of This Month’s Grading Trends

The grading landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and October 2025 delivered some of the clearest shifts we’ve seen all year. PSA continues to dominate, CGC keeps climbing, and both Beckett and TAG saw their own niche surges. Meanwhile, SGC faced one of the sharpest month-over-month declines.

Below, we break down the most important updates in both sports and TCG grading — and what they mean for collectors.

PSA Remains the Undisputed Grading Giant

PSA once again led the industry by a massive margin, grading 1.97 million items in October — a 27% increase month-over-month and 36% year-over-year. Their scale continues to grow, fueled by strong demand across both sports and TCG.

Sports Cards at PSA

PSA graded 703,000 sports cards in October. This number dipped slightly (–2% MoM), but the long-term trend remains exceptionally strong. Even with that dip, PSA still grades more sports cards than every other major company combined.

TCG at PSA

TCG is the biggest driver of PSA’s growth.

They processed 1.27 million TCG and non-sport items, a massive 51% MoM and 126% YoY jump. Pokémon, Magic, and newer TCG releases continue to push volume to historic highs.

CGC Continues Explosive Growth — Especially in TCG

CGC continues its rise as the strongest secondary grading option behind PSA.

Overall Submissions

CGC graded 530,000 items in October — up 5% MoM and a staggering 156% YoY. That growth is heavily tied to TCG, where CGC has become incredibly popular for its strong slabs and competitive pricing.

Sports Cards at CGC

CGC graded 71,000 sports cards, a sharp 27% decline MoM, but still 124% growth YoY.

This dip shows that CGC is still sport-card relevant, but its true dominance is clearly in the TCG category.

TCG at CGC

With 459,000 TCG+ items graded, CGC posted one of the strongest YoY increases across the industry at 161%.

CGC has firmly positioned itself as the second major player in the TCG world.

Beckett: Strong Recovery Momentum

Beckett saw one of its most positive months in a long time:

• 93,000 total items graded (+21% MoM, +86% YoY)

• 27,000 sports items graded (–17% MoM, but +2% YoY)

• 65,000 TCG+ items graded, a huge 47% MoM increase

Collectors seem to be sending Beckett more selective submissions — often thicker cards, certain premium sets, or high-value pieces where BGS historically performed well.

If Beckett continues modernizing their slabs and processes, their upward momentum could continue into 2026.

TAG: A Small But Growing Niche

TAG graded 51,000 items in total, down 3% MoM but up 43% YoY.

Their gain comes mostly from TCG enthusiasts who value TAG’s automated scoring system.

Sports card submissions remain minimal (2,000 this month), but TAG’s consistent growth shows they’re carving out a lane in the TCG-first grading world.

SGC Faces a Significant Downturn

SGC had the toughest month across all major graders:

• 50,000 total items graded (–16% MoM, –69% YoY)

• 47,000 sports items graded (–17% MoM, –70% YoY)

• TCG submissions nearly nonexistent (3,000 items)

SGC continues to be a trusted option for vintage and pre-war cards, but the drastic decline highlights the shift in the hobby: modern collectors are choosing PSA and CGC for most of their 2020s-era grading needs.

TCG Is Driving the Hobby — Not Even Close

The combined TCG category (led by Pokémon) has become the strongest pillar in modern grading.

Here’s the TCG+ breakdown:

• PSA: 1.27 million

• CGC: 459,000

• Beckett: 65,000

• TAG: 48,000

• SGC: 3,000

TCG growth explains nearly every major shift we’ve seen this year. Companies that excel in TCG (PSA, CGC) are skyrocketing.

Those that lag (SGC) are dropping sharply.

Sports Card Grading Tells a Different Story

Sports-card grading was overall down in October:

• PSA: 703k (–2% MoM)

• CGC: 71k (–27% MoM)

• SGC: 47k (–17% MoM)

• Beckett: 27k (–17% MoM)

• TAG: 2k (–18% MoM)

Why the slowdown?

• Fewer new products releasing in early fall

• Market waiting for NBA and NFL mid-season spikes

• Collectors shifting more grading dollars toward TCG

Sports will rebound — but right now, TCG is leading the charge.

Items Graded by Month: PSA Surges, CGC Climbs Behind Them

The chart trends clearly show:

PSA is on a near-vertical rise

Every month of 2025 shows PSA climbing higher, with October being one of the most dramatic jumps.

CGC is separating from the pack

Even without PSA on the chart, CGC’s climb stands out.

Their TCG momentum is real — and accelerating.

Beckett, SGC, and TAG stay steady

All three remain relevant but are no longer close to PSA or CGC in monthly volume.

Final Thoughts — What This Means for Collectors

1. PSA is still the top choice for maximum resale value.

Across both sports and TCG, PSA remains the industry standard.

2. CGC is the #2 grading company in the hobby — especially in TCG.

Their growth is too big to ignore.

3. Beckett is stabilizing and showing signs of a comeback.

The market still trusts them for certain card types.

4. SGC needs a rebound — fast.

They remain a strong option for vintage but are losing modern market share.

5. TCG is the engine of the grading world.

Sports are still strong, but TCG is setting the pace for 2025.

Stay Connected with Walk It Off Sports Cards

We keep track of market shifts like these so you can make smarter submission decisions — and so you know which cards from your mystery boxes might be worth grading.

If you ever want grading advice, submission recommendations, or help choosing which cards to send in, we’re here for you.