A U.S. Congressman Has Raised Monopoly Concerns About PSA
For years, collectors have voiced concerns about the growing power of PSA in the hobby. Recently, those concerns reached Washington, D.C.
Congressman Pat Ryan (D-NY) formally asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Collectors Holdings, the parent company of PSA, over potential antitrust and monopoly behavior in the card grading industry.
Why does this matter? Because Collectors doesn’t just own PSA.
They also acquired SGC, and announced plans to acquire Beckett — three of the most recognizable grading brands in the hobby. According to Ryan, this consolidation could give Collectors control of well over 80% of the grading market.
What the Letter Warns About
In his letter to the FTC, Congressman Ryan raised several serious concerns:
Elimination of Competition
By purchasing rival grading companies instead of competing with them, Collectors may be removing meaningful alternatives for collectors.
Barriers for New Graders
With one company controlling most of the market, new grading companies face massive obstacles just to survive — let alone compete.
Vertical Integration Risks
Collectors doesn’t just grade cards. It also owns pricing tools, marketplaces, and data platforms. Ryan warned this creates conflicts of interest, where one company influences grading, pricing, and sales.
Impact on Collectors & Small Businesses
Fewer competitors can mean higher prices, longer wait times, less accountability, and fewer choices for collectors and local card shops.
Why This Is a Big Deal for the Hobby
This isn’t just online hobby drama anymore.
A sitting member of Congress believes the grading industry’s consolidation is serious enough to warrant federal scrutiny. That alone validates many long-standing concerns collectors have raised about grading dominance, market influence, and lack of transparency.
Importantly, the letter doesn’t accuse PSA of wrongdoing — but it does ask regulators to determine whether the company’s growth has crossed the line from market leader to market controller.
What Happens Next?
The FTC is not required to act, but the request puts official pressure on regulators to examine the grading industry more closely.
Regardless of the outcome, this marks a turning point:
the hobby’s biggest power structure is now being questioned at the federal level.
For collectors, this is about more than slabs and labels — it’s about choice, fairness, and trust in the systems that define card value.
