Is My Graded Pokémon Card Real? How to Check a Slab

How do you check if a graded Pokémon card is real?

Check three things in order: that the certificate record exists and matches the card exactly, that the holder has not been opened, and that the label shows the grader's security features. A slab that passes all three, bought through a route with buyer protection, is very unlikely to be a problem. One failure is enough to stop and ask questions.

1. 1.

   Read the cert number

   Take it from the label, or from a sharp photo of the label if you have not bought yet. Ask the seller for a clearer photo if you cannot read every digit.

2. 2.

   Look it up on the grader's own site

   Type the grader's address yourself rather than using a link from the seller. Use the right site: PSA, CGC Cards, Beckett, ACE and TAG each have their own lookup (table below).

3. 3.

   Match every detail

   Card name, set, number, language, variant and grade must all match. If the grader shows images of the card, compare the centring, the holo pattern and any marks with the card in the slab.

4. 4.

   Inspect the case

   Look along every edge and the seam for frosting, haze, cracks or glue. Press gently near an edge: a sealed case should feel rigid.

5. 5.

   Inspect the label

   Tilt it to check the hologram, and compare the fonts, layout and logo with a known genuine label of the same generation.

6. 6.

   Check the card itself

   The slab does not stop you checking the card: look at the print, the text and the holo through the case, as you would a raw card.

How do you look up a cert number with each grader?

Every major grader runs a free online lookup on its own website, and most labels now carry a QR code that opens the record. Use the lookup to confirm the record exists and matches, and treat the grader's images, where shown, as the strongest single check you can make from home.

Why is a valid cert number not proof?

Because certificate numbers are public. Anyone can look one up, so a forger can print a genuine number, for a genuine card of the same name and grade, onto a fake label. A lookup proves only that the record exists. It does not prove that the slab in your hand is the one the grader made.

PSA says on its cert verification page that criminals try to counterfeit its labels using real certificate numbers taken from public sources. The other trick uses a genuine slab: the case is opened, the original card swapped for a lower-grade or fake one, and the case resealed or glued. PSA's guarantee terms exclude items in tampered holders, and note that some people do exactly this. Both tricks are caught by comparing the grader's images with the card and by checking the case, not by the number.

What are the signs of a fake or opened slab?

The clearest signs are physical: frosting or haze along the seam, hairline cracks, glue, a case that flexes or creaks, and a card that does not sit the way the grader's images show. On the label, look for a flat or dull hologram, wrong fonts, and a label design from a different generation from the case.

• The weld. PSA's buyer's guide describes its holder as tamper-evident because of the sonic weld that seals the two halves; a broken weld leaves the plastic more flexible, and gluing it does not restore it. CGC also describes its case as ultrasonically welded.
• Frosting, haze and cracks. A cloudy line along the seam, or tiny fractures around it, is the classic sign a case has been prised open.
• The label light test (PSA). PSA describes holding a genuine label up to a light so the print on the reverse shows through; a fake front layer stuck over a label usually blocks that.
• Label and case mismatch. The Elite Fourum overview of counterfeit slabs shows a fake whose label matched an older PSA generation while the case matched a newer one.
• Fonts and print. The same overview catches fakes by wrongly shaped digits and, on Beckett slabs, a mis-spaced patent number. Compare with a genuine slab of the same generation.
• The hologram. A genuine PSA Lighthouse hologram switches on and off as you tilt it; a dull, flat or blurry hologram is a warning sign.
• The image match. Where the grader shows images, compare holo patterns, centring and any print marks. A different card in a genuine case shows up here.

None of these checks is final on its own. Label designs vary between generations, and genuine cases pick up scratches. If something looks wrong, ask the seller for more photos, compare with the grader's records, and do not pay until you are satisfied.

Is it safer to buy graded cards on eBay UK?

It can be. Cards listed at £250 or more (excluding postage) can go through eBay's Authenticity Guarantee, where PSA checks the card or holder before it is sent on, at no cost to the buyer. Below that, you rely on the eBay Money Back Guarantee, which gives you 30 days from delivery for most claims.

eBay says graded cards in the programme must come from PSA, SGC, CGC Trading Cards, CSG or BGS, so ACE and TAG slabs were not on its list in October 2026. It also says there is "no grading or re-grading in this process": the check is about authenticity, not about whether the grade is right. Our guide to avoiding scams covers payment protection for private sales and how to report a seller.

What should you do if you think a slab is fake?

Stop before paying if you can. If you have already paid, keep the slab exactly as it arrived, photograph it, and raise it with the seller and the platform straight away. Tell the grader too: CGC, for example, asks people to contact it if the record is wrong or they suspect a counterfeit or tampered holder.

1. 1.

   Do not open the case

   Cracking the slab destroys the evidence and may end any claim.

2. 2.

   Record everything

   Photos of the label, seam, hologram and card, plus screenshots of the listing and the grader's record.

3. 3.

   Use your protection

   eBay Money Back Guarantee within 30 days of delivery; a PayPal dispute within 180 days of paying; your card provider for chargeback or section 75.

4. 4.

   Tell the grader

   Graders track counterfeits of their own labels and can confirm whether the record matches.

5. 5.

   Report fraud

   If the seller deliberately sold a fake, report it to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Our scams guide has the details.

How we sell graded cards

Every slab on our graded page is photographed as sold, so you can read the certificate number in our photos and check it on the grader's own site before you buy. If you want a closer photo of the label, the seam or the hologram, ask us. Our returns page explains your 14-day right to cancel.

New to grading? Our UK grading guide explains what each grader charges and how to submit, and how to pre-grade cards at home shows how to judge a raw card before you pay for grading. If you have graded cards to sell, see sell your cards.