Some grading companies operate buyback programs, purchasing cards they previously graded and reintroducing them into the market. At Prime Excellence Grading (PXG), we’ve made a clear decision not to do this.
The reason is simple: it creates a conflict of interest.
A Grader’s Role Should Be Neutral
A grading company exists to do one thing well:
• Evaluate cards impartially
• Assign grades based solely on condition
• Maintain consistency and trust over time
When a grading company also buys and resells cards it graded, it becomes financially connected to the outcome of its own grades. That connection undermines neutrality — even if unintentionally.
At PXG, we believe a grading company should never have a financial incentive tied to upgrading, regrading, or reselling its own slabs.
Why Buybacks Are a Problem
In a buyback model, a grading company may:
• Purchase cards it previously graded
• Remove them from the open market
• Re-evaluate or resubmit them
• Resell them at a higher grade and higher value
Even when done within policy, this places the grader in two roles at once:
• Evaluator
• Market participant
PXG believes those roles should never overlap.
The PXG Standard
PXG does not:
• Buy back PXG-graded cards
• Regrade cards we own
• Speculate in the secondary market
• Profit from upward grade changes
Once your card is graded, PXG steps away.
The grade stands on its own — permanently and independently.
Why This Matters to Collectors
By avoiding buybacks, PXG ensures:
• Grades are issued without financial pressure
• Every submission is treated equally
• A 9 is a 9 because it earned it
• A 10 is never influenced by resale potential
Collectors should never question whether a grade exists because it was profitable.
Independence Builds Trust
Some companies, including PSA, include buybacks in their business model. PXG has chosen a different path.
We believe a grading company’s credibility is more valuable than any short-term gain.
Our job is to grade cards — not trade them.
That separation is intentional, and it’s one more way PXG protects collectors and the integrity of the grade.
