The year was 1987, and coins were considered one of the hottest collectibles at the time. Third-party grading services ushered in a new era that resulted in both collector and investor confidence in the coin marketplace. Among the many third party grading companies battling it out for dominance in this domain, two would become top tier grading companies still well-known and in existence today. PCGS, also known as the Professional Coin Grading Service, is currently owned and operated by the Collectors Universe and was started in 1985. In 1987, NGC, also known as the Numismatic Guaranty Company, would go on to create direct competition with PCGS. NGC is owned and operated by the Certified Collectibles Group. Coins were the first collectible to be third-party graded and due to its success it is directly responsible for the spread of third party grading to other collectibles. One such collectible that became the target of third-party grading, in the year 2000, was comic books. At the time, taking a three-dimensional comic book that was meant to be read and encapsulating it in tamper proof plastic was seen as controversial among hardcore collectors who were accustomed to being able to read their beloved treasures. However, to the company known as CGC (Comics Guaranty Company), who pioneered this idea, it was as simple as getting the high-profile dealers and auction houses on board with the idea first. Luckily for CGC, this was not their initial foray into the collectibles trade. CGC was owned by the same parent company as NGC, who had massive success with coin grading (spoiler alert: if you hate acronyms, the world of third party grading just isnt for you). CGC was launched at the right time. By the time CGC announced its arrival on the scene and officially started accepting submissions, the new internet e-commerce era was in full swing. Both auction houses and dealers were interested in a way to bring collectibles to the masses that were accurately described and graded. Since the online selling of more valuable collectibles was quickly becoming the norm, comic book collectors could now be confident that the vintage comic books they were buying were in fact in the condition advertised and without any undisclosed restoration. Much like the way third-party grading transformed the world of coin collecting, comic book grading was quickly becoming a thing. Still, the adoption of third-party graded comic books was a slow process. After all, there were and still are several collectors who are against the process. I have had more than several enthusiasts over the years lament that comic books are meant to be read. And honestly, even as a seasoned veteran in the trade, I can understand that. However, lets be transparent here: No one who pays thousands of dollars for a graded vintage comic book is cracking the plastic enclosure and reading it. Thats what lower grade and less expensive reader copies are for. By 2004, CGC was a force to be reckoned with in the third-party grading of comic books. The rising popularity in the grading of comic books led to more and more high-profile collectors and investors coming into the market, and with this renewed interest, prices began to rise exponentially. Still, there were some growing pains. The first great comic book grading controversy to rock the world of comic books was the development of pressing. Pressing is as simple as it sounds. Since one of the variables of calculating the market value of a vintage comic book is condition, sophisticated dealers and resellers figured out they could enhance the condition of some comic books simply by pressing out any non-color breaking creases and bends. Some high-profile collectors were adamant that CGC should be able to detect this practice and declare it as restoration. This controversy divided the comic book community back in the early days of CGCs business. As fate would have it, cooler heads prevailed in this fight, as there is no foolproof way to prove a comic book had been pressed if done properly. Today, CGC can actually press your comic books before grading them, as it is another service they offer their customers. In the last 24 years that CGC has been in business, they have had several competitors, but very few have had the ability to take the wind out of their proverbial sails. Unlike the coin grading market that now has three top tier grading companies battling it out for dominance (PCGS, NGC, and now also CAC), CGC has maintained a near lock on the market for comic book grading. This is in part due to the fact that most high-profile collectors and investors know the CGC name and ihave seen the prices achieved at auction for CGC graded comic books versus their counterparts. Another factor is the CGC registry. Collectors who assemble an incredible collection of CGC-graded comic books can register their books on the CGC website and compete amongst other collectors. This can cause certain high-graded books to sell for a premium at auction simply because a deep-pocketed collector may want to attempt to complete a high grade registry set of particular books, whether it be based on key issues or first appearances of major comic book characters. Unfortunately, CGC may have finally met their match in this market, or maybe not. On July 19, news broke that PSA, also known as Professional Sports Authenticator (there is another acronym for you), is going to start grading comic books starting in early 2025. PSA is owned by the grading conglomerate Collectors Universe, which owns coin grading powerhouse PCGS. The news sent shockwaves through the comic book marketplace, with some enthusiasts lamenting that CGC now has a worthy competitor because PSA has already been successful as one of the top tier grading companies for trading cards. This announcement should put CGC on edge, but the reality of the situation is a little more complicated than that. CGC has already graded millions of comic books since opening their doors back in 2000, and many collectors already know what to expect from their product. Will high-profile auction houses, dealers, and comic book investors simply switch to PSA? Time will tell, but for now the world of comic book grading is getting some much needed competition. And let us not forget the famous words of former basketball player and politician Bill Bradley, Becoming number one is easier than remaining number one. This battle of two great third-party grading companies battling it out for dominance is going to be fun to watch, thats for sure! After all, competition is good for markets, just ask any high-profile coin collector. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.