How GradedGuard protects its drops (and its fans) with EQL
Founded at the height of the 2020 collectibles boom, GradedGuard started with one simple question between friends over coffee: Why weren’t there better ways to display graded cards?
What began as a simple idea (merging the sleek design of a phone case with card protection) has become one of the most recognizable accessories in the collectibles community. Known for its unique design, bold colorways, and coveted blind boxes, GradedGuard products have become collectibles in their own right.
The Challenge
As GradedGuard grew in popularity, its limited releases began drawing the same hype — and the same problems — as the in-demand trading cards they protect.
Each launch attracted hundreds of thousands of users, but the excitement quickly turned into frustration. As traffic spiked, fans were left to wait hours in virtual lines, only to see bots and bypass links wipe out inventory.
“According to Queue-it, we had 300,000 people in the waiting room at one point. But people were using bypass links. The product still sold out instantly, and eBay listings started popping up within minutes,” said Minh Hoang, Founder & CEO of GradedGuard. “That’s when we knew we needed to find another solution.”
The process caused heartache for fans, but also headaches for the GradedGuard team.
“We’d have four people working for 24 to 48 hours after every drop, just canceling duplicate orders and double-checking spreadsheets. It was rough — mentally, financially, and for our fans,” said Minh.
GradedGuard needed a better way to run limited releases — one that rewarded real collectors, eliminated bots, and gave every fan a fair shot.
We’d have four people working for 24 to 48 hours after every drop, just canceling duplicate orders and double-checking spreadsheets. It was rough — mentally, financially, and for our fans.
The Solution
EQL allowed GradedGuard to take back control of its launches. Instead of queues and chaos, the brand switched to draws that prioritize fairness, verify fans, and provide clean, actionable data.
With EQL, fans are able to spend just a single minute entering — not hours refreshing a queue — and GradedGuard is able to get transparency into true demand.
“Switching to EQL was huge. Fans spend one minute entering, and if they get it, they get it. If not, they move on. It’s stress-free for everyone,” said Minh.
With EQL’s bot protection and order de-duplication technology, GradedGuard was able to stop bad actors from clearing out inventory and give real fans of the product a fair shot at scoring. And, for the first time, the GradedGuard team could clearly see who was buying, what real customer demand looked like, and how it varied across products.
“We can finally sit down and say: this quantity, this many per person, and approximately this many people will show up. We’ve never had that before,” said COO Greta Bergstresser. “It’s helping us plan our releases and how much inventory we need with real confidence. We’ve never had such clean data.”
The Outcome
Since moving to EQL, GradedGuard has seen a positive shift in both fan sentiment and operational efficiency.
| With Queue-it | With EQL |
|---|---|
| 300,000 queue positions — but no insight into real demand, or where it was coming from. | 100% reduction in post-launch data cleanup |
| Thousands of duplicate orders and cancellations every drop | Reduced order cancellations, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings for GradedGuard. |
| 24–48 hours of post-launch customer service cleanup | Reliable visibility into core demand for better manufacturing planning |
| Lost revenue from transaction fees and discount abuse | Stronger trust and connection with their collector community |
“With EQL, we’re finally serving our real fans — not bots,” said Minh. “The data is cleaner, the process is smoother, and we can actually enjoy our launches again.”
GradedGuard’s next mission is to expand internationally — launching dedicated drops for Europe and Asia and ensuring fans everywhere can participate fairly without steep import costs. They’re also exploring how to reward loyal fans through some of EQL’s loyalty levers, like exclusive access launches. And, as Minh puts it:
“We just want the process to feel as good as the product looks. EQL helps us do that.”
We can finally sit down and say: this quantity, this many per person, and approximately this many people will show up. We’ve never had that before. It’s helping us plan our releases and how much inventory we need with real confidence. We’ve never had such clean data.
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