How Grading Helps Authenticate Rare Pokémon Cards

When a card is worth £500 or more, condition grading becomes secondary to a more fundamental question: is it real? Authentication is arguably the most valuable service that grading companies provide, and it's the main reason high-end card transactions almost always involve graded copies.

What Happens During Authentication

Before a grading company assigns a grade, they first verify that the card is genuine. This involves checking multiple physical characteristics: card weight, thickness, surface texture, print pattern, colour accuracy, holographic pattern (if applicable), and overall construction.

Graders have access to reference databases and physical reference cards for comparison. They've seen thousands of genuine cards and hundreds of fakes. Counterfeits that might fool a casual collector rarely fool a trained authenticator.

Why It Matters for Buyers

If you're spending serious money on a card, you want certainty. A graded card with a legitimate grade label tells you that trained professionals have examined it and confirmed it's genuine. That removes one of the biggest risks in high-value card transactions.

Without grading, buyers are relying on their own knowledge and the seller's honesty. Both can fail. Even experienced collectors can be fooled by high-quality counterfeits, and not every seller is scrupulous about authenticity.

Why It Matters for Sellers

Selling a high-value card is easier when it's graded. Buyers pay more and negotiate less because the authentication removes doubt. You'll also protect yourself from accusations of selling fakes. The grade label is proof that a third party verified the card's authenticity.

Common Cards Targeted by Counterfeiters

Fake card producers focus on cards where the payoff justifies the effort. The most commonly counterfeited Pokémon cards include Base Set holos (especially Charizard), Gold Star cards, Trophy cards, and high-value modern alt arts. If you're buying any of these in the £200+ range, insist on a graded copy or verify authenticity yourself before purchasing.

Verification After Grading

Every grading company assigns a unique certification number to each card. This number can be looked up in their database to verify that the slab is genuine and the card details match. If you're buying a graded card, always verify the cert number. Fake slabs (genuine labels on counterfeit cards) do exist in the market, and cert verification catches them.