What GMA Grading does

GMA Grading, operating as NEW GMA, LLC, is a Florida-based (Odessa, USA) private trading card authentication and grading company founded around 2007. The company evaluates sports cards (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and non-sports trading cards (entertainment, gaming, ACEO Custom) using a proprietary 16-point manual grading scale ranging from GEM-MT 10 down to FAIR 1, with additional designations for Authentic (altered), Reprint, and ACEO Custom items. Cards are encapsulated in protective holders following assessment, and the company's core differentiator versus established players PSA and Beckett is significantly lower per-card pricing — $8-$25 per card compared to $21-$35 at competitors — combined with turnaround times of 10-25 business days depending on service tier.

GMA operates a direct-to-consumer, mail-in submission model with no intermediary distribution. Customers download PDF submission forms from the company website, ship cards via UPS/USPS/FedEx to GMA's facility, and receive graded and encapsulated cards back by mail. The product portfolio is a single core service (card grading and authentication) offered across three tiered levels: Gold Express (10 business days, $25/card or $18 for 100+), Standard (15 business days, $15/card or $12 for 100+), and Economy (25 business days, $12/card or $9 for 100+). Free live customer support is provided via phone and email Monday through Saturday.

The go-to-market motion targets two primary segments: individual sports and non-sports card collectors, and small-to-medium business card dealers who submit cards in bulk for resale. GMA monetizes entirely through per-card grading fees (pay-as-you-go unit pricing) with bulk discounts but no membership or signup fees. The company has no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding history, and operates as a founder/owner-led LLC (founder: Alan Karpuch) with an 11-50 employee headcount. Customer acquisition relies on the company website, email newsletter for promotions, and testimonial-driven word-of-mouth — with publicly featured testimonials from dealers (e.g., Steve Mackey submitting ~2,000 cards/month) describing migration from PSA and Beckett to GMA on price and speed.

Name

GMA Grading

Legal name

NEW GMA, LLC

Website

https://gmagrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GMA Grading is a Florida-based trading card authentication and grading company serving individual collectors and SMB dealers. Operating since 2007, it offers three tiered service levels (10/15/25 business days) priced 30-77% below major competitors PSA and Beckett.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trading Card Grading and Authentication Services

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Collectibles Grading & Authentication Services (CRAMAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Graded Cards & Third-Party Authentication Retail (CRALAGAD)

Keywords

• Sports card grading
• Trading card authentication
• Collectibles grading services
• Card encapsulation services
• Third-party card grading

Headquarters

HQ city

Odessa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Card Grading Services: GMA generates revenue through per-card grading fees charged to customers submitting trading cards for professional grading and encapsulation. Services are offered at three tiers with different turnaround times and pricing: Gold Express (10 business days), Standard (15 business days), and Economy (25 business days). Bulk discounts apply for orders of 100+ cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GMA Grading provides third-party authentication and grading of sports cards (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and non-sports trading cards using its proprietary GMA Grading Scale (GEM-MT 10 through FAIR 1, plus Authentic, Reprint, and ACEO Custom designations). Customers mail cards to the Florida facility and receive graded, encapsulated cards back under three service tiers (Gold Express 10 days, Standard 15 days, Economy 25 days), with per-card pricing from $8 to $25 and bulk discounts on 100+ card orders.

Product overview

GMA Grading is a single-product card grading service that offers three tiered service levels—Gold Express (10 business day turnaround), Standard (15 business day turnaround), and Economy (25 business day turnaround)—priced at $15, $12, and $8 per card respectively for bulk orders of 100+ cards. The company specializes in grading sports cards (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and non-sports trading cards using a 16-point grading scale, and also provides authentication services for altered, counterfeit, or reprint cards. All tiers offer fast turnaround times compared to industry competitors, with no hidden fees or membership requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Card Grading and Authentication Service Third-party authentication, grading, and protective encapsulation of sports cards (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and non-sports trading cards using the proprietary GMA 16-point grading scale (GEM-MT 10 to FAIR 1), with special designations for Authentic (altered), Reprint, and ACEO Custom cards. Offered at three service tiers: Gold Express (10 business days, $25/card or $18/card for 100+ bulk, 10-card minimum), Standard (15 business days, $15/card or $12/card for 100+ bulk, 20-card minimum), and Economy (25 business days, $12/card or $9/card for 100+ bulk, 30-card minimum). Targeted at individual collectors and small-to-medium card dealers submitting cards via mail.

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnaround time as fast as 4-7 days for bulk orders (500 cards)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beckett Grading Services: Beckett is the second-largest card grading service, also grading sports and non-sports cards on a numeric scale with encapsulation. Direct competitor to GMA across all three service tiers, with comparable turnaround but higher pricing ($21/card base).
• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): PSA is the dominant sports card grading company, setting industry price points (~$35/card) and grading standards. Directly comparable to GMA in core service offering (sports card grading with encapsulation) and serves the same primary customer segments (collectors and dealers).
• CGC (Certified Guaranty Company): CGC has expanded from comics into sports cards via its CSG (Certified Sports Guaranty) division. Direct peer with a strong parent brand (CGC) and similar scale, encapsulation, and grading methodology to GMA.
• SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Company): SGC is a major third-party sports card grader positioned as a premium alternative to PSA/Beckett, particularly for vintage cards. Direct competitor serving the same dealer/collector market with overlapping sports card grading methodology.

Emerging players

• KSA Certification: KSA Certification is a smaller third-party card grading service for sports and gaming cards. Comparable as a niche grader competing for budget-conscious dealers and collectors in the same market segment.
• TAG Grading: TAG is a newer entrant in card grading focused on tech-enabled authentication. Comparable to GMA as a challenger brand competing on turnaround and price against incumbents, with a similar direct-to-consumer model.
• MNT Grading: MNT Grading is an emerging card grading service targeting the value-tier market with competitive pricing and turnaround. Comparable to GMA as a smaller challenger competing on cost and speed against PSA/Beckett.
• Arena Club: Arena Club is a digital-first card grading and trading platform that has entered the grading market. Comparable as a tech-forward emerging challenger targeting the same collector and dealer segments GMA serves.

Others

• Goldin Auctions: Goldin is a major sports card auction house that influences grading standards and reseller pricing. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that drives demand for graded cards; not a direct grader but materially affects GMA's customer economics through secondary market price formation.

Broad incumbents

• eBay Authenticity Guarantee: eBay's Authenticity Guarantee program offers third-party authentication for trading cards sold on the platform. Broad incumbent offering overlapping grading/authentication services, though not a standalone grading business — competes indirectly for the same card authentication demand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GMAGrading
• Facebookfacebook.com/GMAgrading
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gma-grading

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GMA Grading