How to verify a graded card, comic, or coin

Updated October 17, 2026 · About a 4-minute read

A graded item sits in a sealed plastic holder (a “slab”) with a label showing the grade and a certification number. The number is what lets you check it. Counterfeit slabs and swapped labels exist, so check every expensive graded item.

Step by step

  1. Find the certification number on the label in the listing photos. Ask the seller for a clear photo if you can’t read it.
  2. Go to the grading company’s official website by typing the address yourself, not through a link the seller sends you.
  3. Use the site’s certification lookup or verification tool and enter the number.
  4. Compare what the database shows (item, year, variety, grade, and any images) with the item in the listing.
  5. If the number doesn’t exist, or the details don’t match, don’t buy. Report the listing to the marketplace.

Major grading companies

Each of these companies offers a certification lookup on its own site. We aren’t affiliated with any of them.

A matching number isn’t the end of the check. A real label can be copied onto a fake holder. Compare the holder’s details with photos of known genuine examples, and buy from sellers with a strong track record.