COLLECTORS UNIVERSE ACCUSED OF CARD MONOPOLY

A New York congressman has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Collectors Universe for potential antitrust violations after the company gained control of more than 80% of the sports card grading market.

Rep. Pat Ryan requested the investigation following Collectors Universe's acquisition of Beckett, which joined the company's existing ownership of Professional Sports Authenticator and Sportscard Guaranty Corporation.

According to Gemrate and data from November 2025, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) graded 1.66 million cards. Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) graded the second most sports and trading cards at 425,000.

The three other leaders in sports and trading card grading, Beckett, Technical Authentication & Grading (TAG), and Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC) combined for 448,000 total grades of cards combined.

In total, Collectors Universe, which owns PSA, Beckett, and SGC, graded 1.769 million of the 2.233 million cards graded in November.

According to New York Congressman Pat Ryan's website, the recent addition of Beckett to the Collectors Holdings portfolio means that one company controls over 80% of the grading volume and is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company (Collector Holdings) for antitrust.

In the letter to the Federal Trade Commission, Congressman Ryan wrote, "With control over three supposedly independent brands as well as critical trading card inputs, Collectors can now coordinate pricing to suppress competition, influence grade populations to protect market values of internal inventory, and leverage internal data to maximize corporate profit at the expense of consumers. This consolidation threatens the livelihoods of thousands of small businesses, including local card shops, dealers, and auction houses, who no longer have competitive alternatives for essential services."

We have reached out to both Congressman Pat Ryan and Collectors Holdings for comment and will update this story if/when they respond.

To read the complete article, see:
New York congressman asks for investigation into potential monopoly on trading card grading (https://www.ky3.com/2026/01/02/new-york-congressman-asks-investigation-into-potential-monopoly-trading-card-grading/)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
PCGS PARENT COLLECTORS UNIVERSE PURCHASED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n49a11.html)
FEIGENBAUM: COINS ECLIPSED BY SPORTS CARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n49a12.html)

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