The PSA boycott makes sense emotionally, but it probably won’t change much unless the economics of grading change. For collectors, grading can be about preference, trust, aesthetics, or frustration. For flippers and investors, it is about resale value, liquidity, timing, and math.

The #NoPSAMay boycott has become one of the biggest hobby stories right now.

Collectors are frustrated with slow turnaround times, rising fees, inconsistent grading, and general PSA fatigue.

I get the frustration. I just don’t think the boycott will make a difference.

The biggest PSA users are not just casual collectors. A lot of the demand comes from flippers, dealers, investors, and people grading cards specifically to resell them.

And those people are not leaving PSA just to make a point.

Let me just say that I don’t like PSA.

If you’ve submitted enough cards, you’ve certainly had multiple grades that made you stare at the slab like it personally betrayed you.

I get the boycott, but it’s the incentives that change the market. Not anger.

Collectors Holdings, which owns PSA, also owns Beckett and SGC.

They’re facing a proposed class-action antitrust lawsuit that could result in damages and a forced offload of SGC & BGS.

These are just allegations, but this is a greater PSA conversation that’s moved way beyond Reddit threads and into real life.

I think this is much more interesting than the boycott.

A serious legal challenge could force a bigger conversation about whether PSA has too much control over the grading market.

I have a PC, and I love collecting sports cards in general.

But I also invest in sports cards, so I use PSA. I’m not loyal to PSA, but rather to the math.

For modern cards, PSA delivers the strongest resale value and liquidity.

If an SGC gem mint sells for only 60% to 70% of the PSA 10 price, that is not a small difference. That is the whole margin.

If an investor literally can’t profit from using SGC or Beckett, then they’re not going to participate in a boycott that stops their business from running.

Collectors ask:

Flippers ask:

If it’s a PC card, I’m certainly not advocating for PSA. I much prefer SGC’s look and feel. Heck, I still have cards from HGA because I like their slabs.

But if your goal is profit, the grading company is part of the business model.

I’ll be following the lawsuit closely.

From a non-lawyer standpoint, it certainly seems like Collectors wanted to reduce competition. They’ve almost killed off SGC.

And I know CGC is doing well, but that’s almost exclusively for non-sports cards.

For all of us, collectors and flippers, more competition in this market is a great thing. We’d get more viable options, better service, and better prices (at least that’s the hope).

But the boycott isn’t going to change anything, unfortunately.

The only thing that will change behavior is the math.

For modern sports cards, it’s PSA or you’re losing money.

Hey HCL reader,

I’ve been running this free newsletter for 3+ years, and we’ve got around 4,500 people in this community!

After literally thousands of survey responses and email replies, there was ONE question that dwarfed all the others

“How do I make money with sports cards?”

That’s why I launched a second newsletter, HCL Investor.

It’s 100% profit focused.

Basically, it answers:

“What exactly am I buying or selling this week, and why?”

It gives away too much to be free, but you’ll make back much, much more than you spend or your money back:

*Note - This newsletter you’re reading right now will always be free. HCL Investor is just for people who want to learn how to reliably make money with sports cards.

+ 2026 Bowman Baseball - May 13 | $360 - While not as popular or valuable as the chrome version of the release, it’s still one of the more reliable products of the year! With 1 auto guaranteed, this box has traditionally been a great buy-and-hold product. If you’re in the prospecting game, it’s definitely a patience play (unless you pull a stunning card from the get-go).

+ 2025-26 Topps Hoops - May 14 | $330 - As traditionally one of the more accessible basketball products, this price feels a bit high. Because it’s cheaper, it’s a hobby box I’ve ripped several times in the past (around $200 price points), and I can tell you from experience, there’s usually not much value here. However, with 1 auto per box and a stellar rookie class, there’s more upside than usual. Better for set builders and rips with the kids.

*Release dates can (and often do) change as products get delayed 🙄. It’s possible some notable sets are being released this week that I covered in previous editions.

**Pricing taken from active eBay listings. Items ordered from links will result in a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

News From Around the Hobby

+ Do Not Pass Go - If you want to read more about the antitrust lawsuit, Cardlines has a great breakdown that gets a lot nerdier (good thing) than mine. They dive into legal arguments, realistic outcomes, and what it would all mean for collectors.

+ Surging 2026 NFL Draft - “Data from eBay and PWCC shows that four prospects have separated themselves through high-volume sales.” Fernando Mendoza, unsurprisingly, is leading the charge here, closely followed by Jeremiyah Love and Carnell Tate.

+ You're Hot and You’re Cold - The latest Beckett hot/cold list has LeBron cards surging on the back of his Lakers' playoff run, Jaxson Dart gaining collector momentum from Chrome Football hype, and others.

A ton of collectors are sifting through their collections for the first time in 20 years, desperately wishing they knew how to protect sports cards better!

I know I wish I had—out of my 6k cards, I only sent in 12 for grading. I have a Kobe rookie (pictured below) that would honestly grade as a PSA 2 or 3 because it’s so beat up…[Keep Reading]