Is Majesty Grading Company worth it? Our MGC review aims to find out.

Given the substantial timescales and the problems associated with larger US-based grading companies like PSA, we decided to take a look at some of the fledgling alternatives like Majesty Grading Company (MGC). 

MGC is based in the UK, and we sent off a selection of 20 cards for the purposes of this no-holds barred review. 

Does MGC have what it takes to compete with the likes of PSA and BGS? 

Read on to find out our thoughts as we look back on our experiences with the service. 

Reviewing Majesty Grading Company

We sent our cards using the Bronze tier, waiting until they arrived to start writing up this review. You’ll find out everything about the overall experience below, as well as whether we think it’s worth it or not. 

MGC: Pricing & Current Timescales 

Of the new grading companies that have popped up in the UK and Europe, MGC is moderately priced. 

For example, it’s not as cheap as a budget grading service. It’s only £12.99 per card at the lowest tier. MGC also runs promotions and discounts from time to time, ranging from 10-15% off.

As with many services, the fee depends on how long you’re willing to wait to get your card/s graded. You can also take a look at their current pricing scales by consulting the table seen below. 

*The pricing info is correct as of February 2022.

• The Bronze service has a timescale of 2-8 weeks, lowered to 14 working days for their Silver tier. It’s 12.99 per card. 
• The Silver service takes 14 working days for cards to be returned, and is priced at £22.99 per card.
• Their Gold service comes in at £39.99 per card, although it was shut for the entire two-month period that I kept tabs on MGC.  

In terms of delivery fees, return shipping was free as I’m also based in the UK, and it was roughly £10 to ship the cards to them via Royal Mail.  

I’m happy to report that my cards were shipped and returned by week 7, which is a relatively quick turnaround. 

I do think that 2-3 weeks is a bit of a pipedream with the Bronze service, but it’s great if you’re willing to wait for roughly a month and a half. 

MGC: Grading 

As an avid collector, I do try my best to keep cards safe and secure, wrapped in sleeves as soon as the pack has been opened. I was hoping for a couple of 10 grades, although I was also sending in a few cards bought online. 

They say; 

“MGC graders use a highly accurate, industry-standard 10-point grading scale and evaluate cards using advanced authentication and grading equipment, including devices that perform ultra-microscopic AI Video inspections and precisely calculate centring.”

The service uses a simple 10-point grading scale which is as follows:

• 10-GM Card is deemed perfect – with zero flaws, perfect centering and zero print lines.
• 9-M Card has 1 imperfection however retains mint condition. 
• 8-NM Card features imperfections however is just shy of mint condition card
• 7-NM Card has imperfections that are more noticeable to the naked eye / may include one noticeable print line
• 6-EX Card features some significant marking however is still in excellent quality
• 5-EX Card has some flaws that are very noticeable
• 4-VG Card has some flaws that are very prominent and easily visible
• 3-G Card has many or some imperfections
• 2-PR Card appears clearly damaged and of poor quality even at a distance
• 1-PR Card is in a very poor condition and is very clearly damaged

MGC: What we got back

We sent off 20 cards, with the distribution as follows:

• MGC 7: 2
• MGC 8: 6
• MGC 9: 8
• MGC 10: 4

A couple of 7s were slightly disappointing, but probably fair in the grand scheme of things.   

(I’d kept the Mason Mount card on the left in the plastic case it arrived from when shipped by Topps, which definitely wasn’t a good idea. Meanwhile, the Chiesa 2021 Topps UCL parallel is flaky, but I thought it was still worth a shot.) 

As for the MGC 10 grades, there were four in total; 

You’ll see that they’re given a gold label, rather than the blue seen with 9’s and below. I got the Lionel Messi Living Set cards directly from Topps, while I found the Moukoko parallel RC in a cheap tin. 

The Aqua Messi parallel was bought from eBay, a reminder that there’s always a chance you’ll find pristine cards on the resale market. 

Anyway, the point is that I take good care of my collection, yet I only saw a 20% success rate with pristine MGC grades. 

They’re relatively strict, and the card will need to be in perfect condition to have any chance. It also bodes well if you plan to grab rarer MGC graded cards to be sent off to PSA or BGS.

MGC Review: Shipping & Packaging

You’ll have to ship the cards off yourself, using anything from Royal Mail to a local courier. (They also ship to international collectors, so the service is available worldwide.)

The cards arrived in a box, labelled with the MGC logo. It was a little rough around the edges, but I assumed that happened in transit. 

After opening the box, I was happy to see that the cards were packed away neatly and securely. There was additional styrofoam to ensure they were snug while making their way back to me. 

The cards themselves were packed in twos, packed in a layer of bubble wrap, as well as another protective sleeve to go over the slab. Examples can be seen below. 

Overall, I have to give MGC high marks for the care and attention they paid to my cards, even if I didn’t send off the most expensive options. There were no flaws or scratches on any of the slabs, and they’re ready to be sold or held onto. (I think I’m going to do the latter for the majority of these MGC graded cards.)

MGC Review: Slabs 

The slabs themselves are fairly uniform, with no issues of note. I did grab a few MGC 10 cards from eBay before my shipment arrived, so I had a rough idea of what to expect. 

A lack of subgrades is one minor flaw. You might not be sure why a copy received a lower grade than expected. However, I do like the addition of Gold to the top of MGC 10 cards, helping them to stand out instantly. 

MGC notes; 

“MGC Label Technology has been developed over hours of research, testing and consulting with Counterfeit prevention experts. This has allowed us to create a case and label which is impossible to replicate and counterfeit. Our Security measures include Microchips, Tamper proof Holographic designs, Customer Serial Number, hidden MGC Serial Number, UV security ink and most importantly MGC Secure tech.”

They had no problem slabbing a patch, and they’ll be able to grade stickers too. 

MGC Review: Communication & Social Media

MGC didn’t have a portal or anywhere I could view my cards while they were being graded, although their website is undoubtedly well made. However, they did send me an email every step of the way. It informed me of the progress, and exactly where my cards were. 

They’re vocal on social media, while a few of my cards actually made it onto their Instagram page;

It’s always nice to see your cards on sites like Insta, and they post a few new grades every day. 

There’s also an MGC Membership Club: “Submit 5 cards every month for the price of 3 cards on the bronze service! Receive Discounts, Benefits, MGC Members card and a Redeemable free gift on your birthday!”

The point is, MGC is decent in terms of communication, although there is some room for improvement on the backend. Overall, I don’t have any real complaints! 

MGC Review: Values

Most collectors send cards off with a view to sell them on eventually. As such, the resale value of a graded card is especially important. 

As a newer company, MGC is always going to struggle compared to the likes of PSA when it comes to the final sale price on sites like eBay. 

• Check the price of MGC 8 cards on eBay 
• Check the price of MGC 9 cards on eBay
• Check the price of MGC 10 cards on eBay
• Check the most valuable MGC TCG cards on eBay

However, they’re also far cheaper than PSA, so it can make sense depending on the card itself. 

Majesty Grading Company Review: Overall

Our Majesty Grading Company review has looked at everything from their grading criteria to the slabs themselves. 

MGC is definitely a contender if you’re looking at an alternative grading service to the likes of PSA. Remember, you’re never going to see the same final sale prices. 

To be fair, you might work out with a bigger profit margin if you’re sending off mid-tier cards. We’d probably stick to the big boys for high-ticket items. 

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the service, and I’d personally recommend testing it out with a few cards. 

I have a second batch of mid-range cards ready to be sent out, and hopefully more will get a pristine grade this time!