Concept sort partners with collectors and retailers to simplify the assessment of the trade map in Singapore and Asia
Back at primary school, Shi Wei Fong loved collecting Pokémon maps – not only for their lively artworks, but also for the sensation of beating friends in fighting.
Just like many others, he eventually outgraded the hobby, so that the cards were tucked away at home.
But years later he discovered that those long forgotten cards could actually be valuable, because the craze for trade card games (TCG) in Singapore Momentum began to get.
Many collectors started to treat maps such as investments or even assets, and assessment-the process of professional assessment of the situation and authenticity of a card before it was sealed in a sabotage resistant case or record an essential part of the hobby.
Most established assessment companies were located abroad in the US or Japan, where PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) was the most popular. But for Singapore collectors, sending cards abroad for assessment was a hassle, and there were no authorized dealers or intermediaries to make the process easier.
After experiencing this frustration firsthand, Shi Wei decided to hit and start Concept -Sorten. The company is one of only two authorized PSA dealers in Singapore and manages thousands of entries every month.
We spoke with Shi Wei to learn how to turn a youth hobby into a company that has seen growth in Singapore and beyond.
Sorting cards used to be a fragmented process
Until authorized dealers such as concept came, collectors had to navigate a messy, fragmented assessment process, without official service providers in Singapore to trust.
They had to rely on ad-hoc group entries via Carousell, cards through multiple intermediaries without following abroad. The costs rose with every transfer, and shipments often lasted weeks, making collectors anxious about items worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The lack of transparency and security made Shi Wei feel uncomfortable, and an idea was fueled: Why not building a company that could trust collectors, one that was safe to handle logistics while she provides end-to-end tracking and helps them to spend less?
At the time, Shi Wei still worked at Tiktok as a specialist in the field of technical solutions, but decided to launch his own card rating activities in 2022, Sort concept inside Concept CityA separate Jalan Besar -Handelkaartwinkel that is owned by a friend.
On the website of Concept Grapping, collectors can follow each step of the process, including closing dates, shipping schedules, insurance coverage and lead times.
This is the interface for submitting tickets for concept assessment. In this example, the user has submitted three cards. The platform follows when the cards reached the assessment facility and when they were assessed, with the current status showing that they are ready for collection. Image Credit: Concept Closure 
Here are the assessment results for the three cards submitted.
Submissions start from S $ 35 and can go to S $ 2,788 for PSADepending on the type of card. The costs can also rise if collectors opt for higher insurance coverage on expensive cards or premium levels opt for faster assessment.
However, not every card deserves the process. Although the Shi Wei team is not a professional assessment service, they advise collectors about which cards are worth sending in. Factors such as rarity, centering, special series, fitness, signatures and unique works of art all influence the assessment potential of a map.
“A card can double or in value if it is kept long enough, so that the speculative edge of the hobby and the increasing need for card rating is fueled today,” Shi Wei explained. It is unlikely that cards probably add value value can be rejected as ‘junk plates’.
Sorting concept claims to handle the majority of the Singapore assessment market
It was not long after the establishment of concept rating for Shi Wei to see how strong the question was.
Foot traffic at Concept City brought many hobbyists in search of a safer, more transparent and affordable assessment service, which resulted in crowds at Shi Wei’s small counter in the store.
Moreover, he also succeeded in securing partnerships with local stores, many of which did not miss secure logistics or tracking systems to send cards for assessment. Even companies and individuals outside the hobby – such as Takagi Ramen and Online Streamers – have approached Shi Wei to submit cards on behalf of their communities and fan bases.
By 2023, concept -sorting had become an authorized PSA dealer, who further stimulated the demand. A year later, Shi Wei left his job at Tiktok to fully concentrate on the company, and by 2025 he had invested almost S $ 180,000 to open a special flagship store in Chinatown.
Nowadays, concept works with Six assessment partnerscover everything from pokémon to basketball, Weiss Schwarz Anime cards To K-pop photo cards.
According to Shi Wei, the company currently processes more than 8,000 cards every month, so that they are sent to assessment facilities all over the world. In addition to trade cards, collectors have also entrusted the company with coins, concert tickets and even Funko Pops to assess.
Shi Wei claims that concept assessment handles the majority of the country’s assessment market, despite the launch of two years after the only competitor, Oxley -Review -the first authorized PSA dealer in Singapore.
Apart from Singapore, Concept Grading also has a Malaysian outlet, which he jointly launched with a remarkable collector in the room – Nicklaus Tai. Declared Concept -Assessment by NickShi Wei said that the outlet processes between 2,000 and 3,000 tickets every month.
Recently, Concept -Gradse has also set up partnerships with stores in Japan, China and the Philippines, which further expanded the reach in Asia. With these partnerships, the stores can submit collective cards to classes through concept assessment.
Concept assessment wants to become a one-stop destination for collectors
Despite the growth it has seen, running concept assessment has not been without challenges.
Shi Wei soon learned that navigation of taxes careful attention to paperwork required – Schstakes could be expensive. In some countries, the customs impaired high costs on shipments, even when the cards are declared exclusively for authentication. Refusing to pay can lead to losses.
Moreover, dealing with valuable items requires tens of thousands of dollars staff who are both reliable and expert. Monthly operational costs for draft assessment can reach up to S $ 60,000, excluding PSA’s own costs. Recruiting and training the right people remains one of the most difficult challenges of Shi Wei.
Despite these challenges, Shi Wei continues to continue with his vision, which shows that careers can be built from hobbies – even niches such as exchange cards.
When asked whether the TCG trend could fade and influence its business, recognized Shi Wei that the prices have cooled down Since the peak from the COVID era But continues to trust in the resilience of the market. He explained that fluctuations are normal, depending on the released series, copper fatigue and the natural ebb and the electricity of market participants.
“Many more people are trained today about the collectable scene. These cards and collective objects are the crypto stocks of our time,” shi Wei emphasized.
Looking ahead, further growth plans are in the making, with a clear long-term vision: becoming a one-stop destination, supporting collectors in Singapore and Asia.
- More information about concept -sorting here.
- Read other articles that we have written about Singaporean companies here.
Featured Image Credit: Concept -Sorten
#Concept #Assessment #proves #trade #cards #childs #play #business