TGT - Transparent Grading

[mr715]

Saw a new company announce at The National on Youtube about their grading company.

TGT (Transparent Grading Team) http://www.transparentgradingteam.com

I said this at the online chat session with them, and I feel it is accurate, if they do HALF of what they say they are going to do, 1000% this is a game changer (for me) and I think the industry!

Here are some of the details I remember:
- Will be opening up submissions next month. (They showed a few slabs that they have beta tested)
- Small company/employee staff as of right now.
- $25 dollar per card for 30 days-ish, with discounts for bulk subs.
- Custom Slabs and Colors (Some of the slabs they showed were on fire, especially the Mantle I saw)
- Back QR Barcode will be scannable and GET THIS.... will take you to the website/app and show you the other 8 pics of your scanned card!
- The online scanned pics will SHOW YOU THE FLAWS (Highlighted in a box), and show how it got the grade!
- A Pop Report.
- Name of the grader who graded your card, for the transparency of who/what/why gave it that grade.

There were a few other things spoken about, but it's the TRANSPARENCY, or the ability for them to point out the flaws on the card, and how it got its number. What company does that now??? I always look at ebay and say to myself, "Now why did that grade a PSA 9 or BGS 8?" Now, if it holds true, this company will allow you to scan the code and take you to the site to look at where those imperfections are at.

Man that is like the selling point for me... finally a company that will tell me why it is what it is. And to tell me the grader who graded it, that is different.

The custom slabs, boy they looked nice. I know some hate the custom slabs, etc... but if you are at all interested in this new technology, these things were at the HGA level, and maybe a step above with some of the ones I saw.

Lastly, did I say online, fully viewable scans of your card??? PSA is "supposed" to be doing that too soon, I heard. But they won't have them all available, from all their slabs throughout the years. This company, from day 1, will have all those scans available for us.

Let's see if they live up to their name...

But let the haters come out, waiting to read the comments

Dave

[ChaseUA]

I love the idea of the scans online and particularly it highlighting any noticeable issues with it, however I’m not a fan of knowing who the grader is for a few reasons. A) someone will publicly end up doxing a grader they have it out for and/or B - you could have a great card and the company become reputable but if the grader who did it somehow gets found of misdeeds and their reputation sours - the grade would always have a stigma to it.

[Tanker1812]

All sounds good, website doesn’t work but they have an Instagram.

Guess my question looking at their IG is why their label and slab looks eerily similar to that other new grading company “Pure Graded X”

So yea idk, the Pure Graded X label already looked like garbage IMO. The TGT looks like a direct ripoff and lower quality.

[kon jelly]

For those looking for their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transparentgradingteam/

Their labels are SUPER busy. I hope they offer some sort of basic label that doesn't detract from the card.

[Giroux]

The labels look bad. Like a knock off HGA, which aren't exactly the cream of the crop to begin with.

[Giroux]

The transparency thing is awesome though

[Clark]

[mr715]

Ya the Labels on IG are not as accurate as the ones they showed on the live feed. They were better quality and looked cleaner.

[49erRCCollector]

All of these new grading companies will come and go. I’d be genuinely shocked if even one of the them is still around in 5 years time.

Not saying they don’t have worthy ideas, but from an investment standpoint? Bleh. From a longevity/collectible/registry standpoint? Bleh.

[RufussCkingston]

NICE.... the Grader of Death will have a name!!

[CheapThief]

Originally Posted by 49erRCCollector

All of these new grading companies will come and go. I’d be genuinely shocked if even one of the them is still around in 5 years time.

Not saying they don’t have worthy ideas, but from an investment standpoint? Bleh. From a longevity/collectible/registry standpoint? Bleh.

Agreed. As Michael Porter said, you can compete on price, or you can compete by differentiating your product. These companies are not competing on price, and the market power that the established grading companies have is so strong that it's hard to make up the difference by differentiating.

All of these guys better start thinking long and hard about how they're going to make the monthly nut once they're forced to grade for $9 or $10 a card, because that's exactly where they're going to be once PSA gets its act together and starts taking submissions again with reasonable turnaround times.

[letsgocapitals]

Isn't that something?

[CardWizard]

Yeah I really like the idea of being able to see scans that show why the card graded the way it did. I have too many PSA 9's that have me wondering what's wrong with them!

[pip]

I really like the idea of the grader being identified. This type of transparency would help to eliminate favoritism and would hold a TPG accountable because right now, they seem to be more in the business of printing money for a favored few rather than grading cards objectively for everyone.

[turkpbr18]

On 2 of their IG examples, there are 2 cards shown as 10 Gem Mint. The subgrades are 10-10-10-9.The 9's are for corners. No thanks.

[Fizroy]

"Haters"

[PepperDean]

This is a really nice idea, but boy it just doesn't sound pragmatic. It's going to take so long to do this for every card, they're going to be putting out orders at a snail's pace. Just can't see them catching on in any significant fashion.

[VintageHockey94]

For transparency, OP, do you work for, own, or have friends or family that work for TGT?

I ask because literally no one is excited for another new grading company. New ideas are exciting if implemented by PSA/BGS, but not if it's from a whole new company. Unfortunately no one cares anymore, these companies are popping up each day.

[Philthy]

Their goals are commendable, but I'm not sure how realistic it is.

My concern with these new grading cards its we don't know their financials so aside from the 3 major players, its hard to know whose going to be here in 3 or 5 years. I'd love to give this company a shot but the thought of them being defunct in a couple years after paying $25 is stopping me from trying these guys (or any of the new grading companies).

[notfast]

Another fly by night grading “company” using wish.com slabs.

They won’t be around in a year, much less 5.

[valleynuckfan]

No way should a grader's name be attached publicly to any particular card. Will end up being a s**t show when Rick grades really tough but Carl is a little more forgiving. Or will just turn into a competition with who grades the toughest and 10s became as common as a unicorn. Or a case of bourbon (substitute a flaming bag of poop if so inclined) shows up at Glen's door for his efforts. Or as noted the grader gets hung by his feet in the world of social media opinion and his children get bullied at school and his wife gets her car doors keyed.
No thanks, I'm fine with anonymity as long as the company holds to a recognized standard.

[Giroux]

Originally Posted by VintageHockey94

For transparency, OP, do you work for, own, or have friends or family that work for TGT?

I ask because literally no one is excited for another new grading company. New ideas are exciting if implemented by PSA/BGS, but not if it's from a whole new company. Unfortunately no one cares anymore, these companies are popping up each day.

Especially since the new companies are as rinky dink as they come

[mr715]

Originally Posted by VintageHockey94

For transparency, OP, do you work for, own, or have friends or family that work for TGT?

I ask because literally no one is excited for another new grading company. New ideas are exciting if implemented by PSA/BGS, but not if it's from a whole new company. Unfortunately no one cares anymore, these companies are popping up each day.

Not one bit. No stock in the company, don't know the guy who started it, and we live in separate parts of the country. Not that that is really a thing, but I have no skin in the game for any of these grading companies, just that I like nice looking slabs, and am a collector, and not a flipper.

So seeing WHY my card is graded at what it is, and not leaving it up to some expert who doesn't have to show his work... I love the idea!

When you took tests in High School, did the teacher ACCEPT your final answer to your Math test, without showing your work? I'd say 99.99% of us HAD to show our work. Well it's time for the graders to SHOW their work.

I am fine with people not liking the idea, and the hate. But I hope they have can carve out a piece of the hobby with their ideas... if they can do all that they say, cause I'll throw my PC at it to get graded cards and the proof on why it is what it is.

[salthill]

Good luck to them.
Best case scenario is they get Sherlocked by the big three.

[mr715]

Originally Posted by salthill

Good luck to them.
Best case scenario is they get Sherlocked by the big three.

haha, love it. Could be true, and I am so glad you linked the site too.

+1 to you sir. Prolly would be the most likely scenario.