This guide contains affiliate links to eBay. See the note at the end.
Quick answer: type the slab's certification number into PSA's own cert lookup (psacard.com/cert or the official PSA app) yourself, and check that the card name, set, number and grade on the record match the label and the card in the photos. Then check the label and case in close-up photos, ignore any "verify here" link the seller sends you, and always pay through eBay checkout.
Parts in this guide, with live eBay listings
Pokemon Umbreon VMAX Alt Art 215 Evolving Skies PSA 10from 4203.96 AUD · 13 live listings →
Pokemon Charizard ex 199 Special Illustration Rare 151 PSA 10from 2050.00 AUD · 25 live listings →
Pokemon Japanese Charizard ex SAR Pokemon Card 151 PSA 10from 1197.00 AUD · 29 live listings →
Blue-Eyes White Dragon LOB Unlimited PSA 10from 14245.00 AUD · 5 live listings →
PSA Graded Card Slab Protector Sleevesfrom 9.90 AUD · 28 live listings →
Lowest prices across eBay AU, US, UK and DE as of 23 Oct 2026. Prices change, check eBay. Ad / affiliate links.
A PSA 10 is a piece of cardboard in a plastic case that can cost more than a used car, which makes it the only cardboard most of us would insure. Naturally, people fake them: fake labels, fake cases, real cases with a different card swapped in, and even fake websites built to "verify" fake cert numbers. The good news is that most fakes fail at least one of the checks below, and none of them needs special equipment.
Check 1: Look up the cert number yourself
Every PSA slab has a certification number on the label. Type it into psacard.com/cert, or, on newer labels with a QR code, scan it with the official PSA app.
- Type the address yourself. Don't use a link from the listing or from a message. Collector guides report lookalike "verification" sites set up to vouch for fake cert numbers.
- No record, or a record for a different card? Walk away.
Check 2: The record must match the slab, exactly
A valid cert number on its own proves very little: PSA itself warns that counterfeiters copy real certification numbers onto fake labels. A real number on a fake slab is like a real phone number on a fake business card. Compare every detail:
| On the PSA record | Must match |
|---|---|
| Card name | The label and the card you can see |
| Year and set | The label |
| Card number | The label and the number printed on the card |
| Grade | The label |
| Language / variant (where shown) | Japanese vs English, 1st edition, holo etc. |
If PSA's record includes images of the card, compare those too: centring, print lines and little marks are as good as a fingerprint.
Check 3: Same cert number, many listings?
Search eBay for the cert number itself. If the same number shows up on several "different" slabs, or in sold listings with different photos, at least one of them is fake.
Check 4: Inspect the label and hologram in close-up
Ask for clear, close-up photos of the front and back of the label if the listing doesn't have them. Collector guides point to the holographic PSA logo, which should shift colour when tilted; on fakes it often looks flat, blurry or printed. Font, spacing and logo placement should match a known-genuine slab of the same era (PSA has changed its label design over the years, so compare like with like).
Check 5: Look at the case itself
PSA cases are sealed so that tampering leaves marks. Look for:
- Scratches, cracks or glue marks around the seams
- A card that sits loose, tilted or off-centre in a way the cert images don't show
- A case that looks a different shape or thickness from other PSA slabs of the same era
A real case with the wrong card inside (a "swap") is one reason Check 2 matters so much.
Check 6: "Too good to be true" is a check, not a cliché
A PSA 10 chase card listed far below recent sold prices, from a brand-new account, with stock photos and "ships from overseas, 3–5 weeks" is not a bargain. It's a very expensive way to learn what the word "replica" means. Compare with recent sold listings (not asking prices) for the same card and grade.
Check 7: Pay on eBay. Always.
eBay's Money Back Guarantee covers items that don't arrive or don't match the listing, but not purchases where any part of the payment was made outside eBay. A seller who offers a discount for paying by bank transfer or "friends and family" is offering to remove your protection. (eBay Money Back Guarantee policy)
Watch the clock: eBay's policy gives trading cards from no-returns listings a much shorter window (3 calendar days after delivery on eBay.com at the time of writing) to report an item that doesn't match the listing. Check the slab the day it arrives, not the weekend after.
On some eBay sites (mainly eBay.com in the US) and above a set price, eligible single cards can come with eBay's Authenticity Guarantee: the card goes to an independent authenticator, which for graded cards checks the slab and label for tampering, before it's sent on to you. If a listing shows that badge, it's a real extra layer, but read the listing to see what's included (eBay Authenticity Guarantee for trading cards).
Printable checklist
- Cert number typed into psacard.com/cert or the PSA app myself
- Name, year, set, number and grade match the slab and the card
- Cert number not reused across other listings
- Label hologram and fonts look right in close-up
- Case shows no tampering, card sits correctly
- Price makes sense against recent sold listings
- Paying through eBay checkout
Graded cards on this site
Our graded-card pages pull live listings from eBay Australia, the US, the UK and Germany, so you can compare the same card and grade across countries:
- Pokémon Umbreon VMAX Alt Art 215, Evolving Skies, PSA 10
- Pokémon Charizard ex 199 SIR, 151, PSA 10
- Japanese Charizard ex SAR, Pokémon Card 151, PSA 10
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Blue-Eyes White Dragon LOB, PSA 10
- Everything graded: PSA Graded Cards
Keep your slab looking as good as the day it arrived: slab protector sleeves. Buying sealed product instead? Read how to avoid fake sealed Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! boxes on eBay.
FAQ
How do I verify a PSA cert number?
Type the number from the label into psacard.com/cert, or, on newer labels with a QR code, scan it with the official PSA app. Type the address yourself rather than following a link from the seller.
Can a fake PSA slab have a real cert number?
Yes. Counterfeiters can copy a genuine cert number onto a fake label, or put a different card into a real case. That's why the card name, set, number and grade on PSA's record must match the slab and the card exactly.
Is it safe to buy PSA graded cards on eBay?
It can be, if you check the cert record, inspect the label and case, compare with recent sold prices and pay through eBay checkout so the Money Back Guarantee applies. Inspect the card as soon as it arrives, because reporting windows for trading cards can be short.
Do BGS and CGC slabs have cert lookups too?
Yes. Beckett (BGS) and CGC both run their own online certification lookups. Use their official sites in the same way.
Ad / Affiliate links: YOU SHOULD, SHA. Parts links to eBay. We earn a commission from eBay on qualifying purchases made through those links, at no extra cost to you. We are not eBay and not the seller. Always check the listing and the grading company's records before you buy.