THE REPORT CARD
Field Notes · the blog

Field Notes

Honest math for card people: what grading really costs, what slabs really sell for, and how to decide before you buy. A guide, not gospel.

Where to Grade Now That Beckett's Cheap Tiers Are Closed

2026-08-05

Beckett quietly paused Base and Standard. Here is every grader's real availability, and the math on paying the same fee for a faster slab that sells for less.

Eighty Percent of What? Whatnot's Shill-Bidding Claim and Your Comps

2026-08-03

Whatnot says shill bidding fell nearly 80% with no denominators disclosed. Here is what that can and cannot tell you about the comps you price cards from.

A Lawsuit Says PSA's Grades Are Subjective. Your EV Math Already Assumed That.

2026-08-01

A RICO class action alleges PSA sells grading as objective while using a subjective standard. Here is what that changes in your grading math, and what it doesn't.

The $1.86M PSA 1: Why Grades Stop Mattering on Signed Vintage Cards

2026-07-28

A PSA 1 Jackie Robinson just became the most expensive signed vintage card ever. Here is when the number grade carries the value, and when it doesn't.

Sell at the National or Hold for the Trade Deadline? The Eight-Day Calendar

2026-07-26

The National runs July 29 to August 2 and the MLB trade deadline hits August 3. Here is the day-by-day math on which window gets your cards.

Is On-Site Grading at the National Worth the Premium?

2026-07-07

On-site grading at the National starts at $229.99 vs $79.99 mail-in, and the cheap tier sold out on day one. Here is the real break-even math.

PSA's Backlog Just Went Back Up. The Bigger One Is Still on Your Desk.

2026-07-04

PSA's backlog rose to 12.4 million cards despite record output. Here is why the queue is filling faster than it empties, and what it means for your submissions.

World Cup Prizm Just Dropped. Buy the Box or Buy the Single?

2026-06-27

2026 Panini Prizm World Cup is here at about $900 a box. Here is the honest box-versus-single math, and when ripping actually makes sense.

Your Rookie Just Got Called Up. Sell Now or Hold to the All-Star Break?

2026-06-22

Called-up rookie cards spike fast, then fade. Here is a sell-or-hold framework, with the timing and the math, for the 2026 call-up wave.

PSA's Backlog Hit 14 Million Cards. Is It Still Worth Grading Now?

2026-06-19

PSA's grading queue hit nearly 14 million cards after its Value pause. Here is the hold-cost math on whether to grade now or sell raw.

eBay's Repack Crackdown Starts Today. Are Repacks Worth Buying?

2026-06-15

eBay now limits trading-card repacks to approved Live sellers as of June 15, 2026. Here is what changed and the honest expected-value math on whether to buy one.

Is It Worth Grading at $80? The Break-Even Math After PSA's Value Pause

2026-06-12

PSA's cheapest grade is now $79.99. Here is the actual break-even math, by gem rate, that tells you whether grading a card still pays in 2026.

PSA Paused Value Grading: What It Means for Your Next Submission

2026-06-11

On June 2, 2026 PSA suspended all four Value tiers over a 10 million card backlog. Here is what changed, what it costs now, and how to decide where to grade while the pause is on.

PSA vs SGC vs BGS vs CGC in 2026: Costs, Resale Value, and the Actual Math

2026-06-10

What each grading company really costs in 2026, what their slabs really resell for, and a worked example showing which grader nets you the most on the same card.

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