April Grading Activity Slows; MJ, Junior, 2023 Rookies Among Most Examined

Card grading activity dipped last month.

Gem Rate, which tracks grading data across the major authentication firms, says activity declined by four percent overall in April compared to March numbers.

PSA graded about 669,000 sports and related cards last month, a drop of about one percent, according to GemRate.  SGC graded about 85,000 and Beckett 30,000.  Each company’s April numbers lagged behind March.  CSG’s were unavailable because their population report remains under maintenance.

The most graded card at PSA during April was the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. at about 1,100 copies.

Modern rookie cards dominated the list. The company graded about 800 2022 Topps Update Julio Rodriguez cards, about 700 2023 Adley Rutschman, 600 2021 Upper Deck Cole Caufield and about 600 each of the 1989 Topps Traded Griffey Jr and 2018 Shohei Ohtani.

The player PSA graders saw the most overall is no surprise. 

Here’s a list of the top 10:

1. Michael Jordan (18,200)
2. Julio Rodriguez (14,000)
3. Shohei Ohtani (11,500)
4. Trevor Lawrence (8,000)
5. LeBron James (8,000)
6. Tom Brady (7,600)
7. Joe Burrow (7,400)
8. Ken Griffey Jr. (7,300)
9. Kobe Bryant (7,200)
10. Patrick Mahomes (6,200)

SGC has been offering modern grading specials and the numbers reflect have begun to reflect that with several 2023 Topps rookie cards heading the list of the most graded individual cards.

Rodriguez (1,900) and Rutschman (1,800) topped the list of most graded players, followed by Jordan (1,600), Ohtani (1,600) and Mickey Mantle (1,300). 

Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were also part of SGC’s top 10 list.

Related Stories:

Jordan, J-Rod Top List of Most Graded Cards in February Notes: September Grading Numbers, T206 Cobb Record, Brandon Crawford’s Collection GemRate Releases Extensive Grading Data of Hobby’s Top Cards with Iconic Tracker Jordan, Ohtani Cards, Big Influx of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball Among Top Items Graded in January Breaking Down Recent Grading Numbers for Hobby’s Top Cards Michael Jordan Rookie Cards Value Soaring: A Guide to Prices and More Upper Deck, Panini Reach Settlement Over MJ Images Over 1.5 Million Cards Graded in June; Wemby Tops List

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].