How to spot a fake PSA slab

People fake slabs because a grade changes what a card is worth. Most fakes fail one simple check at the table. The rest usually show themselves if you slow down and look.

1. Look up the cert number

Every PSA slab has a certification number printed on its label. Type it into the cert lookup on PSA's own website, or into Bartr's Verify PSA Cert screen, which shows PSA's record for that number.

The record should describe the same card the label does: the same name, year, set, card number and grade. If PSA has no record for the number, you can stop there.

2. A real number does not prove a real slab

The most common trick is to copy a real cert number onto a fake label. The lookup still finds a record, so people relax. Read the record against the slab anyway. A different card, a different variety (holo or non-holo, 1st Edition or not) or a different grade means something is wrong.

PSA's record often includes photos of that exact slab, front and back, especially for recently graded cards. When it does, compare them with the slab in front of you. Centering, a small print line, a mark on the border: the same slab looks the same in both places.

3. Read the label closely

Fake labels often give themselves away in the printing. Look for blurry or uneven text, letters that sit at slightly different heights, spelling mistakes in the card name, and colors that look faded or too bright.

Check that the grade and the word beside it belong together. PSA pairs each number with the same words every time, for example GEM MT 10, MINT 9 and NM-MT 8. A label that says MINT 10 is not a PSA label.

PSA labels also carry security printing that is hard to copy. Tilt the slab under a light and compare it with a slab you trust from around the same time. PSA has changed its label design over the years, so an older design is normal. It should still match one of PSA's real designs.

4. Check the case

A PSA case is sealed shut when the card is graded. Run your eyes along every edge. Glue, gaps, pry marks, cracks near the seams or a card sitting crooked inside are all signs that someone opened it. Normal scuffs from years in a box are not.

Hold it next to another PSA slab if you can. Size, thickness and the shape of the label area should match.

5. Look at the deal, not just the slab

A price far under what that grade usually sells for, a seller who will not let you hold the slab or look up the number, or pressure to decide right now. None of these prove a slab is fake. Each one is a reason to slow down.

Trading or buying from someone you can find again, like a shop or a vendor with a booth, also means you have somebody to talk to if something turns out wrong later.

When you are still not sure

Pass. There will be another copy of that card. If you are at a show, ask a parent, a friend who knows slabs, or a vendor you already trust to take a look. A second pair of eyes helps.