I recently submitted an autographed 1968 Topps Hank Aaron to CGC x JSA for authentication and grading. Aaron signed this for me personally in 1985, so I have no concerns about authenticity. But this is a keepsake I will eventually pass along to my kids. I figure for the long haul, authentication can’t hurt. After some deliberation I decided to submit this card to CGC x JSA.
In case you are not aware, CGC’s parent group recently acquired JSA, and it’s a smart partnership. JSA is a trusted name in authentication, but they do not slab cards, and I’m not having a sticker placed on my vintage cards. For CGC, this could be a good inroad to growing the vintage side of their business.
Why CGC x JSA?
Why did I submit to CGC instead of PSA or Beckett? One factor was cost. I was grading on-site for same-day return at the National. The full breakdown of CGC fees is here, but be sure to tab over and add JSA fees as well.
But I chose CGC for many reasons:
- I own zero PSA vintage cards and just don’t like the look of PSA with vintage
- Beckett is a sinking ship, though I trust their authentication and like their slabs
- I had been wanting to try CGC, and the JSA partnership is great development for collectors
The CGC Submission and Return Process
Submitting the card was very simple. I am new to CGC so I just made an account with CGCCards.com and added the card and services via selecting from a straightforward set of drop-down boxes. Tip: it’s easy to mess up and find CGC’s Comics page instead. CGC is currently working on an integrated sign-in to avoid any possible confusion.
I can’t speak to turnaround times because I opted for pricey same-day service. I’ll say that the card was not done until about an hour after the show ended, but the exhausted staff members were polite and hung in there with the few remaining customers while graders finished processing the orders. They probably took on a few more cards than they could handle on this day, but on-site grading at the National is controlled chaos at best. The staff was fantastic.
The Result
Again, I had no concerns about authenticity, since I had this card signed in person. The card grade seems about right, but the card does have soft corners and I would expect a 3 or 3.5 with SGC or PSA.
The auto is solid and clear but with some streaky spots. I don’t really care about auto grades and am happy with the 8.
I have always been a fan of CGC’s ultra clear acrylic. The lack of extra UV protection seems like an oversight, though all good acrylic offers a measure of UV protection. UV protection should be standard practice across the industry, but it’s not. PSA is the leader here with their revised slabs, and everyone else should follow suit.
The label looks sharp for vintage, and the slabs are basically tamperproof and fake-proof, with a number of unique safety features built in.
Will I Use CGC Again?
I will definitely use this service again for any vintage on-card autos. It’s a great product at a solid value. I can also foresee CGC becoming a bigger player in vintage grading overall if SGC falters under PSA’s constraints of the brand.
