Ebay has announced it is extended its Authenticity Guarantee to trading cards, ensuring that all cards above a certain value on the platform are graded by a third party to ensure they're genuine cards.
Any ungraded card, such as Pokemon or Magic, selling for more than $750 through Ebay will be required to go through the authentication process, which involves sending the card for analysis at the Certified Collectibles Group or one of its affiliates. In particular, they will likely go to CGC Trading Cards and Certified Sports Guarantee, who focus on trading and sports cards.
According to the statement made by Ebay, once the third-party authenticators have graded the card and confirmed it is legitimate, they will then send the card directly to the customer. This will be in "discreet packaging" and will require a signature on delivery, and will also come in an Ebay-branded case giving a guarantee on the quality of the card. This requirement is only being enforced for sellers in the United States.
Getting cards graded is common practice in the high-value trading card market. A card that is graded and comes with the paperwork proving it can sell for much, much more than one without, leading many collectors to approach companies like CGC and PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator). The quality of cards is often discussed in terms of PSA grading – for example, a PSA 10 card is in pristine condition, while a PSA 1 card is highly damaged, scratched, or bent.
Ebay says that trading cards are one of its biggest categories on the site, with total sales totalling $2 billion in the first half of 2021. Speaking about it, VP of collectibles, electronics, and home at Ebay, Dawn Block, said "Our trading card business has been growing for the past six years, and the recent surge speaks to the immense cultural significant of the category". The only other products Ebay extends the Authenticity Guarantee to are watches, handbags, and trainers (sneakers).
Curiously, the Authenticity Guarantee will only apply to singles – individual cards. Sealed products like booster packs, boxes, and cases, won't be subject to the same scrutiny, despite them being at the centre of the ongoing controversy surrounding Logan Paul's $3.5 million box of fake Pokemon cards (but did get a refund for). That being said, verifying sealed product can be more difficult, as it often requires a train of evidence from seller to seller to prove without opening the product and lowering its value.