Did I come away a winner or loser on these graded Weiss Schwarz, Weiss Schwarz Blau and Rebirth for you cards?!

BGS Graded Cards

Check out my previous post about BGS here for some background behind grading.

I went for another round of cards getting graded. All the cards besides the Denji SSP, were pulled pack fresh by myself. I went BGS again with the $40/per card “standard” option with the estimated 10-20 business days shipping.

It cost me $924.00 for all the Beckett costs and an additional $60.10 to ship it there with about $4000 insurance through UPS. I used “2nd Day Air.”

The cards came within a discreet box within a box.

Timeline

• Graded Submission sent 07/06/2023
• Shipped after grading 08/07/2023
• Arrived 08/08/2023

The Results

Gamma SP「七陰第三席 ガンマ」 [KGJT/001B-022SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥9980 = Est. $70 “In-stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $127.25 “Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $70-$150

I knew from the very beginning I wasn’t going to receive a high score on this. The surface and corner got me.

• Edges on top of Rebirth for you (at least for The Eminence in Shadow) cards seems to be a trend in possible downgrade of card

• Bottom left corner has some whiting, poor print cut or foil exposure (I’ve cleared some cardboard debris on corners before; maybe I could have cleaned it up more before I sent it in)

• Centering on back of card looks off

• Surface is hard to tell what was that bad about it

Beta SP「七陰第二席 ベータ」 [KGJT/001B-015SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥17800 = Est. $125.00 “Out of stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $315.00 “Not Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $92-$260

I can’t really complain about BGS SGEM MINT 9.5s. The score here seem fair.

• Edges on top has similar issues to Gamma SP (warping on top right of card), but not as bad

• Bottom right corner & top right corner might be off by a little bit giving it a 9.5

• Centering labeled a 10, but could have been a 9.5

• Surface is still hard to tell from the front of the card, but the back has blue painted dot in the top middle of the card

Shadow SP「陰に潜み、陰を狩る者 シャドウ」 [KGJT/001B-001SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥12800 = Est. $90.00 “In-stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $162.50 “Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $124.99-$156

This is by far my most surprising grade. The edges caught a 9, but I can’t see much of anything that’s wrong with it.

• Edges on top and side looks like it has some dust on it , so can’t fully tell, but it looks really good. I’m super surprised here that the score is so low. I would have assumed 9.5 or better.

• To the naked eye, all the corners looks like it still has a shot at a 10

• Centering is extremely hard to tell when it comes to the front of the card, but the back is a little more clearer; the print does look slightly higher

• Surface is still hard to tell from the front of the card, but the back has blue painted dot in the top middle of the card

Kaito Kid SP「月下の奇術師 怪盗キッド」 [CNN/01B-021SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥12800 = Est. $90.00 “Out of stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $150.00 “Not Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay no sold listings; asking price is $190.00

So far, so good for the quality print of Weiss Schwarz Blau cards. I might have been one little paint misprint away from a Black Label here..

• Edges look clean and crisp compared to the Rebirth for you cards
• The corners look perfectly rounded and no warping of the cardboard
• Centering is perfect in the front, but back side could be a 9.5

• Surface looks good besides one very small blue speckle on the top left of the card

Ruthless Man Gin SSP「冷酷非情な男 ジン」 [CNN/01B-022SSP SSP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥6980 = Est. $49.00 “Out of stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $61.99 “Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay no sold listings; asking prices from $82.78-$120

The surface quality is by far the hardest subgrade to try to judge after it’s been slabbed, but GEM MINT 9.5 is going to be fair.

• Edges look good as with most WSB cards

• Top right corner looks like it may have some of the gold stamp sparkling, which might have been the culprit

• Centering on the front looks bigger on the left side as the same on the back

• For the Surface, the gold stamp really makes the surface look bumpy. Even some of the Blau Rares with the bigger gold stamps doesn’t look good on the surface. Some look like it has scratches, but most importantly it makes it look blotchy.
• Where it says 「そうしたら」, that looks like exposed foiling or from the stamp that probably contributed to the lower score

Silver Bullet & Triple Face「シルバーブレット&トリプルフェイス」 [CNN/01B-044SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥12800 = Est. $90.00″Out of stock” (08-08-2023)

TCG Republic – $130.00 “Not Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay No listings $92-$260

Mercari – $60-$200+

• Edges were difficult to tell to the naked eye where it went wrong
• Maybe the top left corner of the card, the cardboard looks like it’s slightly lifted

• Centering looks the most obviously off centered compared to the 9.5s. The 9 score makes sense

• Surface is still hard to tell from the front of the card, but the back has blue painted dot in the top middle of the card

Epsilon SP「七陰第五席 イプシロン」 [KGJT/001B-036SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥14800 = Est. $125.00 “Out of stock” (08-09-2023)

TCG Republic – $134.44 “Not Available” (08-09-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $100-$172

The dreaded 9.5 on everything…

• Edges look good to the naked eye, besides the top of the card
• It’s kind of disappointing that these slabs came pretty scratched up and has trapped dust inside, which makes it even harder to reexamine it from the outside

• The corners look good, but maybe the bottom of a couple of the corners doesn’t look smoothed out

• To the naked eye, the centering doesn’t really look off; maybe the backside is slightly printed higher up?

• Surface of the card looks good to me
• there isn’t anything I can pinpoint with my phone to take a picture of

Aang: The Last Airbender SP [ATLA/WX04-001SP SP]

TCG Player sold listings = $65-104 “in-stock” (08-10-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $60-$150 (08-10-2023)

Looking at the edges and corners of the other cards and comparing it to this one, there is no question that it actually looks like a perfect 10.

• Edges has no flaws!
• Corners look clean
• Centering does look visibly off in the front and the back; it’s printed more to the right side in the front and backside is printed higher up

• Surface is a 9.5, but can’t tell where the flaw is at all with it inside the slab

Zuko: Crossroads SP [ATLA/WX04-048SP SP]

TCG Player sold listings = $96-180 “in-stock” (08-11-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $91-$119 (08-11-2023)

The Zuko SP received the same exact subscores as the Aang SP.

• Edges look flawless
• Corners look flawless
• Centering looks not as off centered in the front compared to the Aang SP and the back might be slightly printed more to the left side

• Surface is a 9.5 and hard to tell where it might have suffered a lower score

Katara: Desire to Help SP [ATLA/WX04-078SP SP]

TCG Player sold listings = $55-94 “in-stock” (08-11-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $51-$109+ (08-11-2023)

This is one of two Katara SPs I sent to Beckett. One was pulled out of my case from Gold Star Collectibles and the other was from a random loose booster from my LGS at The Burrow.

• Edges looks perfect
• Top left of the card is where the defect likely is (last pic)

• Centering in the front might be slightly printed to the right and the back is printed higher up

• Surface is a 9 and I could tell right away after pulling it pack fresh that it had those foil spots on her coat

Katara: Desire to Help SP [ATLA/WX04-078SP SP]

TCG Player sold listings = $55-94 “in-stock” (08-11-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $51-$109+ (08-11-2023)

This is one of two Katara SPs I sent to Beckett. One was pulled out of my case from Gold Star Collectibles and the other was from a random loose booster from my LGS at The Burrow.

• Edges were too hard to tell where the docked half point would be through the slab
• This one has the same corner issue the other Katara SP has in the same spot at the top left of the card; the cardboard doesn’t look cleanly cut and is sticking out a little bit

• Centering is labeled a 10, but I wouldn’t have been mad if they gave me a 9.5

• Surface has the same issue as the other Katara SP with the exposed foiling; it’s just in a different location

Toph: The Blind Bandit SP [ATLA/WX04-024SP SP]

TCG Player sold listings = $96-135 “in-stock” (08-11-2023)

TCG Republic – $315.00 “Not Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $76-$200

• Edges on top has similar issues to Gamma SP (warping on top right of card), but not as bad

• The top left corner has the same non-smooth corner that looks lifted up like many of the other Avatar SPs

• Centering labeled a 10, but back looks like it could have been a 9.5

• Surface looks perfect except possibly the reflection near the edges of the card on the bottom and left side of the card; couldn’t get a picture to reflect what the naked eye sees

Devil Hunter Denji SSP デビルハンター デンジ [CSM/S96-T13SS SSP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥19800 = Est. $137.00 “Out of stock” (08-12-2023)

TCG Republic – $228.00 “Available” (08-12-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $142-$162

• BGS 10 Gold Label went for $173.50

This is the one card I bought on eBay from a seller from Japan. The card came in a side top loader and was packaged really well. I thought a BGS 10 was possible.

• Edges got docked likely at the bottom left of the back of the card; it’s more easily visible through the slab from this angle

• Corner looks good, but looks very close to the Avatar SP corners where I think it got docked half a point

• Centering is a 9.5, but the naked eye still tells me this still looks like a 10; the front side top and bottom looks centered

• I had a tough time seeing anything wrong with the surface before sending this one in to the Beckett and I still maintain that opinion

Devil Hunter Himeno SP デビルハンター 姫野 [CSM/S96-028SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥12800 = Est. $88.00 “Out of stock” (08-12-2023)

TCG Republic – $122.00 “Available” (08-08-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $89-$96

This is where I have duplicate grades for the same card. This happens for both the Himeno SPs and the Power SPs. It’s great getting the same grades becuase it shows the consistency of theprinting of the cards

• Edges look good and it’s becoming easier and easier to see see the difference between a 9.5 and a 10
• Corners are difficult to tell between a 9.5 and a 10, but the 9.5s are by the thinnest of margins worse.. maybe
• Centering on the front side looks good on the SN ending in 37, but the SN ending in 38 looks like it’s printed more to the left side; both back sides look like they have a strong case for a 10

• Surface is still hard to tell from the front of the card, but the back has blue painted dot in the top middle of the card

Blood Devil Power SP 血の魔人 パワー [CSM/S96-001SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥14800 = Est. $102 “Out of stock” (08-12-2023)

TCG Republic – $162.00 “Small stock” (08-12-2023)

eBay sold listings range from $110-$175

I pulled these two Power SPs pack fresh from one case and one from a loose booster box from AmiAmi. Both got identical grades.

• Edges look clean across the board
• Corners look identical and smooth
• Centering is labeled a 9.5; both cards look like they maybe slightly printed to the left for the front side; both back sides look like they’ve been printed slightly to the right

• Surface got a rare perfect 10 for both; this set had some not so great quality prints; it’s good to see it barely effect the foil quality

Denji, Dream-Like Life SP 夢みたいな生活 デンジ (ユメミタイナセイカツデンジ) [CSM/S96-053SP SP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥5980 = Est. $41.00″Available” (08-12-2023)

TCG Republic – $81.80 “Available” (08-12-2023)

eBay sold listings range from at $71.00; listings are $70+

• Edges looks really smooth on all sides
• Corners look consistent with the 10s they’ve been giving and no “benefit of the doubt 9.5s”
• Centering labeled a 10, but could have been a 9.5

• Surface looks super clean through the slab; the great surface of this Chainsaw Man set might be what’s best about this set

Haruka Kiritani, Lots of Blessings 「いっぱいの祝福 桐谷遥」 [PJS/S91-035SSP SSP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥19800 = Est. $137.00 “Out of Stock” (08-13-2023)

TCG Republic – $266.00 “Small Stock” (08-13-2023)

eBay no sold listings; listing prices range $195-$350

Check out my post where I pulled this out of a case here.

• Edges look very deserving of a 10
• Corners look just as smooth as the edges
• Centering looks printed off to the right side in the front; the back of the card looks perfectly centered

• Surface has one small foil dot at the bottom right side in the front

Takina, These Days Will Continue「これからも続く日々 たきな」[LRC/W105-068SSP SSP]

Yuyu-Tei Price ¥49800 = Est. $343.00 “Available” (08-13-2023)

TCG Republic – $454.55 “Available” (08-13-2023)

eBay 1 sold listing at $350; BGS 10 Gold Label sold at $550

This was an exciting one to pull. I bought a couple boosters off of HLJ to check out this set and off the first box I pulled this! I thought I had a good chance at BGS 10, but these were very fair subgrades.

• Edges & Corners look like it was cut very smooth
• Centering looks like it might be printed slightly to the left on the front and back side

• Surface quality can be extremely tricky to catch where it goes wrong; you need the “right kind of lighting;” I didn’t catch this after I pulled it and it took me a good minute to find where they could have docked me and then here it is..

Last Thoughts

Complaints

• Slabs were scratched up more than usual
• There are a lot more dust inside the slabs

Was it Worth it?

The easy answer is no. For $40, you should probably send in cards you honestly think you can get a BGS 10 Gold or Black Label or else the premium on the slabs becomes a money pit. If it’s for your own personal collection, then it’s just up to you. However, if you have very high ticketed cards, then that slight premium on 9.5s seems like it can still be a great deal.

For selling purposes, you would have to get very good at inspecting cards yourself and that is where I want to gain good experience. Most of these subgrades seem to be very self-explanatory. Looking at the slab grades and inspecting it myself is helping me look at the possible places where points can be docked. It also helps me cross check the consistency at BGS’s grading, which in this very short span of time I’ve been doing this, seems pretty consistent so far. At some point I will try out PSA, but the best value is currently fetching that BGS 10 Black Label.

What I Learned

Some people want to pull their chase cards themselves, rather than buying it second hand from the market. I think most of us feel that way. At the end of the day, we are still dependent on the print quality. Rebirth for you cards seem to be of a slightly lower quality than Weiss Schwarz, but Weiss Schwarz’s print quality vary from set to set. On the plus side, that makes the value of BGS 10s Gold and Black Labels tremendously more valuable. I haven’t gotten one Black Label yet, but I can’t wait until I do.

Right now, I have a Chisato SSP I bought from Mercari. It came with some scratches on the back you can only see in the lighting. Having something like this graded, makes it a lot easier to sell, rather than taking a tremendous amounts of pictures to show the quality, only for the buyer to not read the descriptions and not look at the pictures. I see this as a nightmare scenario for a seller and the buyer’s remorse. This is where the slab helps legitimize everything and makes the confidence of the purchase significantly better for everyone.

Last Last Thoughts

From now on, I will probably only send cards I think can be BGS 10s for the Standard or Express shipping. For my personal collection and cards I think will only be a BGS 9 or lower, I’ll send Base for $22 per card. I hope this blog helps—collectors and sellers alike.

For Sale

Check out my TCG Player store!

Check out my eBay Listings if you are interested in any singles or bulk cards!

Price Guide

YuYu-Tei – Listings are Japanese prices, but requires proxy (cost more than listed price)

TCG Republic – Prices are higher, but you can buy directly without proxy (they are the middleman)

Buyee – A popular proxy service for Mercari JP, Yahoo Auctions JP, Rakuten, PayPay & various other stores

• Sign up here with my referral link!

TCG Player Price Guide – Trustworthy marketplace pricing that people are ACTUALLY buying the cards at!

eBay – Be sure to check the “Sold Items” button when looking for your specific card to gauge true price of the card

Other References

BGS grading process link and grade link

For all other information regarding how to play the Weiss Schwarz game, go to their official site here.

For information about how to play Weiss Schwarz and about future releases, go here.