Collectors, which owns card grading giant PSA, has purchased longtime grading and authentication rival Beckett.
Collectors, the hobby’s leading grading and marketplace services company, announced Monday it has entered into an agreement to acquire Beckett, which was founded in 1984 by collector Dr. James Beckett.
Beckett
Beckett Media began publishing sports card price guides in 1984 and launched Beckett Grading Services in 1999. The company began grading vintage cards and launched its Beckett Collectors Club in 2001. It began encapsulating graded cards in tamper-proof holders in 2005 and launched its online submission platform in 2007.
Beckett was one of the hobby’s leading grading and authentication companies before struggling financially and losing much of its market share over the past decade.
Beckett
Beckett will remain an independent brand and continue to operate with its own operations, customer experience and standards around grading, marketplace, magazines and price guides, Collectors said in a news release.
Collectors will look to enhance Beckett’s offerings while preserving the ability for collectors to choose between the two grading companies.
“I am pleased to share that the iconic Beckett is joining the Collectors family and will continue to operate as its own independent brand within our portfolio,” Collectors CEO Nat Turner said. “The first card I ever submitted for grading was to Beckett, and I consider Collectors custodians of this important icon in the hobby. We believe that strong, well-supported brands help grow access to the hobby.”
Collēctīvus, which owns such hobby companies as Southern Hobby and Dragon Shield, purchased Beckett in December of last year.
“Beckett is in good hands with the Collectors team, who are first and foremost hobbyists and fans,” said Kevin Isaacson, CEO of Collēctīvus, the previous owner of Beckett. “We appreciate their commitment to the Beckett brand and their willingness to invest in the people who make it valuable. We look forward to seeing Beckett continue to build on its legacy in its next chapter.”
According to Collectors, orders at PSA and Beckett will continue to be processed as usual and there will be no change in pricing as a part of the acquisition.
The deal adds to the ever-growing portfolio of Collectors, one of the hobby’s largest and most diverse companies. Collectors now owns hobby companies PSA, PCGS, SGC, and Card Ladder.
Jeff Owens