In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Eddie Wittner—Founder and President of C3 Grading—a collector-first grading company built around transparency, accessibility, speed, accuracy, and trust.

At a time when grading has become one of the most powerful infrastructure layers in the hobby, collectors are asking bigger questions about pricing, consistency, market control, upcharges, turnaround times, and the overall direction of the grading industry. With Collectors expanding its grading footprint across PSA, SGC, and Beckett, and with ongoing scrutiny surrounding PSA, the conversation around alternatives has never felt more relevant.

C3 Grading has stepped into that moment by offering a different kind of grading experience. With $9 slabs, no hidden fees, no upcharges, fast turnaround times, dual grading, full subgrades, QR-enabled reports, thoughtful slab design, and a customer-first approach, C3 is building around the collector experience instead of simply following the legacy grading model.

In this conversation, Alyx and Eddie break down how C3 Grading started, what Eddie saw missing from the grading space, and why he wanted to build the kind of company he personally wished existed as a collector.

They also discuss the current state of the grading industry, the impact of consolidation, the frustration many collectors feel with mainstream grading companies, and why independent alternatives have a real opportunity to earn trust by focusing on transparency, consistency, and service.

The conversation also dives into the C3 philosophy, including flat-rate pricing, why upcharges bother Eddie philosophically, the importance of dual grading, full subgrades, fading grades, QR reports, slab design, and creating a submission process that feels simple, accessible, and fair.

Alyx and Eddie also talk about the partnership between C3 Grading and Collectors MD, including C3’s inclusion in The Intentional Collector’s Guide, the CMD affiliate code, and C3’s support of the #RipResponsibly movement through thank-you cards and packaging touchpoints.

At its core, this episode is about grading, trust, transparency, collector advocacy, and what it looks like to build a healthier hobby from the infrastructure up.

Topics covered include:

• Eddie’s collecting journey and how C3 Grading started

• Why grading became such an important part of the hobby

• Building an independent grading company in a consolidated market

• Collectors, PSA, SGC, Beckett, and the changing grading landscape

• Why collectors are frustrated with mainstream grading

• Flat-rate pricing and why C3 avoids upcharges

• $9 slabs, no hidden fees, and fast turnaround times

• Dual grading and why accuracy matters

• Full subgrades and transparency in the grading process

• QR-enabled grading reports and slab design

• Fading grades and “graded on” date stamps

• The role of trust, consistency, and service in grading

• The current PSA drama and what it says about hobby trust

• C3 Grading’s partnership with Collectors MD

• The Intentional Collector’s Guide and CMD affiliate code

• Why #RipResponsibly belongs in the broader hobby conversation

• What the future of grading could look like

If you’ve ever submitted cards, questioned grading fees, felt frustrated by upcharges, or wondered where the grading industry is heading, this is a conversation worth listening to.

Because grading isn’t just about the number on the slab—it’s about trust, transparency, and protecting the collector experience.

Subscribe, share, and join the conversation around awareness, accountability, transparency, and building a healthier relationship with collecting.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Nonprofit: lohas.org/client/the-cmd-foundation

Socials: bio.collectorsmd.com

Weekly Meetings: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YT: ‪@collectorsmd

IG: @collectorsmd

Learn More About C3 Grading:

Website: c3grading.com

YT: @C3Grading

IG: @c3grading

FB: C3 Grading

TT: @c3.grading

Use code CMD to grade cards for $8 per card

Help for Problem Gambling: Call or Text 800-GAMBLER

This Episode of The Collector's Compass is sponsored by ‪All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% of your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

#CollectorsMD | #TheCMDFoundation | #C3Grading | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89TfANFR5T0&t=5s

Brandon Howard | June 7, 2026

Presented By All Touch Case

Lately, I’ve needed to remind myself that not every card in my personal collection needs to be graded, and not every grading decision needs to be tied to profit.

The hobby often encourages us to view every card through the lens of monetary value, population reports, and potential returns. It’s easy to become consumed by questions like: “What’s this worth?” “Should I grade it?” “How much can I make if it gems?” Somewhere along the way, grading shifted from being a way to preserve meaningful cards to becoming a financial strategy for maximizing profit.

Recently, PSA announced that it would be discontinuing ‘Value’ and ‘Value Bulk’ submissions indefinitely. While there are many reasons behind the decision, it also serves as a reminder of how much grading activity has become tied to speculation. For years, collectors have been sending cards by the thousands in hopes of generating a return on investment.

Let’s start with an important caveat: there is nothing inherently wrong with grading cards for resale. Many people enjoy that side of the hobby. Problems emerge, however, when the pursuit of profit overshadows the reasons many of us started collecting in the first place. Not every grading submission needs an exit strategy. Some cards deserve protection simply because they’re part of our story.

Maybe it’s a card of your favorite player growing up. Maybe it’s the first big card you pulled with your child, parent, or sibling. Maybe it’s a card tied to a memory, a milestone, or a chapter of your life that you want to preserve forever.

When grading is driven by meaning rather than money, the experience fundamentally changes. Market fluctuations become less important. Population reports matter a little less. The card’s value is no longer determined solely by what someone else might pay for it tomorrow. Instead, the card becomes a reflection of what matters to you.

A card doesn’t need to be assigned a higher monetary value to deserve protection.

The rise of grading has undoubtedly changed the hobby. In many ways, it has created transparency, protection, and liquidity. At the same time, it has also fueled a mindset where collectors sometimes feel pressured to grade everything in sight.

Intentional collecting asks us to pause and ask questions before making that decision. Why am I grading this card? Am I preserving something meaningful, or am I chasing an outcome? Would I still want this card if its value never increased? Those questions don’t just apply to grading. They apply to the entire art of collecting.

One alternative that has helped me rethink this entire process is displaying meaningful cards in an All Touch Case. Not every card needs a numerical grade or a third-party stamp of approval to be worthy of showcasing. Sometimes the cards that mean the most to us aren’t the most expensive or the most likely to earn a Gem Mint 10. All Touch Cases allow collectors to beautifully display the cards they love in premium acrylic holders without tying that enjoyment to market value, population reports, or resale potential. Instead of asking, “What will everyone else think this card is worth?” we can ask a much more important question: “What does this card mean to me?” For many collectors, that’s a far healthier and more fulfilling way to celebrate the cards that matter most.

A healthy collection isn’t built by maximizing every transaction. It’s built by surrounding ourselves with items that bring us joy, connection, nostalgia, and meaning. Some of the most important cards in your collection may never be the most valuable. And that’s perfectly okay.

#CollectorsMD
Not every card needs a grade. The cards that do should tell a story worth preserving.

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This Daily Reflection is sponsored by All Touch Case, a premium display and protection solution designed to showcase your cards while keeping them safe. Use code COLLECTORSMD for 15% off your order. Collect. Protect. It’s a peace of mind.

https://collectorsmd.com/grading-with-intention-why-its-more-important-than-ever/

Episode 50 drops June 5th at 530am Central time!

https://linktr.ee/picklethepodcast

For years, collectors were told that massive pop counts would eventually crush card values.

And yet… here we are.

A PSA 10 Ohtani rookie with a pop over 15,000 still commands massive prices.

A Pikachu Grey Felt Hat with a PSA 10 pop nearing 50,000 continues climbing.

Even Wemby Prizm Silvers with thousands of PSA 10s are still seeing strong demand.

Why? Because demand, culture, player relevance, nostalgia, and collector confidence often matter more than raw pop reports alone.

What’s even more interesting is what’s happening outside PSA. Lower-pop BGS Pristines and other premium grades are quietly gaining traction because collectors are starting to look beyond the label and ask deeper questions:

• How rare is this specific grade really?

• How difficult is it to gem?

• How iconic is the player or card?

• Does the market trust the eye appeal and scarcity?

The hobby is evolving.

At Hobbycomp, we believe the future of collecting is less about blindly following one slab and more about understanding the full picture through transparency, education, real market data, and collector behavior.

Because in the end, a great card is still a great card. The market is just becoming smarter about how it values them.

#SportsCards #Pokemon #PSA #BGS #Wembanyama #ShoheiOhtani #TradingCards #SportsCardInvesting #CardCollector #TheHobby #Hobbycomp

With the most recent increase to PSA turn around times I decided to try AGS and TAG. I sent 10 cards to AGS and 10 cards to TAG on 4/30. I received my completed AGS order back on 5/23/26. TAG is still in step 1 - “Order Prep”.

AGS is an AI grading company. I’m happy with the slabs. They feel sturdy and are basically the same size as a PSA slab. It also includes sub-grades and the laser imaging.The only complaint I have would be that they seemed more tailored to the TCG side. When completing my submission form the database did not have many of the cards and they had to be entered manually, which takes a little time. Hopefully they grow, and their database does as well.

We’ll see how anything does for resale, but over all I’m happy and will grade with them again.

If anyone wants to give AGS a try, use

https://app.agscard.com/referral/OYPLB for your first submission and save!