A new grading company has quietly stepped onto the scene, and it’s already generating curiosity among high-end collectors. Called MEW — Memorabilia, Encapsulation, Worldwide, the company has positioned itself somewhere between a boutique grading service and a full-fledged consignment pipeline. While it’s far too early to judge where MEW will land in a market defined by PSA, BGS, and CGC, its structure offers a noticeably different approach worth examining.
Where MEW Fits Among PSA, BGS, and CGC
To understand the significance of any new grading company, it helps to remember the shape of the current landscape:
- PSA remains the dominant force. Their label is still the most liquid in the market, and a PSA 10 often commands the highest sale prices. Their influence comes from decades of brand recognition, consistency, and deep population data.
- BGS built its reputation on subgrades and the premium-feeling black label for perfect cards. While its popularity has fluctuated over the past few years, BGS remains respected among collectors who prefer a more granular grading style.
- CGC, originally known for comic grading, moved into TCG and sports cards with modern slabs and relatively strict grading. They’ve become a go-to for a portion of the Pokémon community, especially during times when PSA backlogs were overwhelming.
These companies have different strengths, but all face long-standing criticisms: long turnaround times, impersonal customer service, inconsistent grading at scale, and the complicated ecosystem of fees.
This is the environment MEW is stepping into, one that’s both competitive and still open to innovation.
MEW’s High-End-Only Approach
One of the first things that sets MEW apart is its submission requirement: minimum raw value of $500 per card.
This cuts out the bulk-submit crowd and focuses the company on high-value cards, primarily premium Pokémon, TCG, and sports cards. Whether this proves to be a smart niche or an overly narrow filter remains to be seen, but it certainly defines their target audience from the start.
Inspection, Cleaning, and Grading
MEW includes something most grading companies avoid: a gentle cleaning step before grading. It’s described as archival-safe and non-invasive—meant to remove obvious debris without altering the card itself. Many collectors will appreciate that transparency; others may question whether any hands-on cleaning should occur at all, even if non-invasive.
Grading itself uses a whole-number system from 1 to 10, with three “10” tiers: Gem Mint, Pristine, and Perfect.
This mirrors some modern grading trends and attempts to offer clearer hierarchy at the top, but it also risks making “10s” feel less intuitive to newcomers.
The slabs are UV-resistant, tamper-evident, and visually clean. Early images circulating online suggest a modern, minimalistic design—nothing radically different, but competitive with current options.
Where MEW Really Diverts From the Norm: Automatic Consignment
Perhaps the most surprising feature is MEW’s business model. After grading, every card is automatically consigned to a global auction platform chosen by MEW.
This creates a pipeline that looks something like:
- Submit
- Ship
- MEW inspects & cleans
- Grade & encapsulate
- MEW chooses the auction venue
- Card is sold
- Payout sent to collector (minus 19%)
There are no upfront fees—MEW takes its cut from the final sale price.
This model may appeal to collectors who want a hands-off process and don’t want to deal with auction houses themselves. On the other hand, some collectors prefer control over if and when they sell—something MEW intentionally removes from the equation. For now, MEW is geared toward people comfortable relinquishing that control in exchange for convenience.
Security & Integrity Claims
MEW outlines standard assurances: controlled rooms, restricted access, chain-of-custody documentation, and impartial grading. These are expected in 2025 for any grading company hoping to be taken seriously. Ultimately, the hobby will judge MEW on execution rather than policy statements.
A MEW Entrant, but Still an Unknown
MEW’s model is undeniably different: part grader, part consignment handler. It caters to collectors with high-value cards who want a streamlined path from raw condition to auction payout.
Whether this hybrid model gains traction, or fades as another short-lived grading experiment, depends entirely on:
- how consistent their grading proves to be
- how their slabs are received by the market
- how competitive their auction outcomes are
- and whether collectors feel comfortable letting a grading company also act as their seller
For now, MEW isn’t trying to be the next PSA. It’s trying to be something else entirely.
And in a crowded grading landscape, something MEW may be exactly what catches collectors’ attention, even if it has a lot to prove.
