What Is a Slab? Graded vs. Raw Cards & How Slabs Impact Value

A slab is the hard plastic case a trading card gets sealed in after a grading company — like PSA or CGC — authenticates and grades it. The label inside the case shows the card, its grade, and a unique certification number. “Slabbed” means graded and encased. “Raw” means loose and ungraded.

If you’ve spent any time around sports cards or trading cards, you’ve probably heard: “You gotta get that slabbed” or “It’s a raw card.”

Here’s what it all means — including why graded cards are much more valuable than non-graded, or “raw”, cards.

What is a Slab?

A slab is the sealed plastic holder a grading company returns your trading card in after it’s been graded. 

Here’s why slabs matter for trading cards and typically increase their value significantly.

• They’re tamper-evident
• They protect the card, so it holds its grade after it’s slabbed
• Shows the assigned grade — or its quality, typically ranked through 10
• Get a unique certification number
• Tells buyers a third party has authenticated the card.

A slab has three main parts:

• The card, sitting in an inner sleeve that holds it in place.
• The label, which has the grade and the card details.
• The holder, the hard outer shell that is sealed shut.

What Does a Slab Label Show?

The label is your ID card for the card. Most labels include:

• The grading company, such as PSA, BGS, SGC, or CGC.
• Year, set, and card number, for example 2025-26 Topps Chrome #251.
• The player or character name.
• Any variation, such as a refractor, a parallel, or a numbered card.
• The grade, usually on a 1-10 scale.
• The certification number, which is unique to that one card.

Newer slabs also carry a QR code or barcode. Scanning the QR code on a newer PSA slab takes you straight to the cert verification page.

Raw Cards vs. Graded Cards: What’s the Difference?

A raw card is any card that hasn’t been professionally graded. It might come straight out of a pack, sit in a penny sleeve or toploader, or live in a binder. 

A graded (slabbed) card has been reviewed by a grading company and sealed in a case.

Neither one is necessarily “better” for collecting, but graded cards are considered better for selling, especially for high-value cards.

Many collectors keep raw cards in binders and slab only the ones that matter most to them for safekeeping.

Does a Slab Always Make a Card Worth More?

Usually, but not always.

At the top of the scale, the gap can be big. For many high-end cards, a PSA 10 sells for two to five times what the same card brings as a PSA 9. That one point is why collectors care so much about condition.

At lower grades, a slab can actually cap a card’s value. A raw card still carries the possibility that it could grade a 10, and a slabbed 9 doesn’t. Card Ladder data has shown raw copies of some modern rookies selling for more than PSA 9s, including a 2013 Panini Select Giannis Antetokounmpo rookie at $124 raw against $100 as a PSA 9.

In short: a slab tells you exactly what you have, and the grade on the label drives the value.

The Major Card Grading Companies: PSA, CGC & More

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator). The biggest name in grading, with the most recognizable red label. Founded in 1991, PSA is widely credited with creating third-party card grading. PSA grades in whole numbers from 1 to 10.

CGC (Certified Guaranty Company). The only major grader still independent after the Collectors–Beckett merger. CGC has grown fast, especially with Pokémon.

BGS (Beckett Grading Services). Known for subgrades: separate scores for centering, corners, edges, and surface. BGS’s top grade is the Black Label 10, which requires a perfect 10 on all four subgrades.

SGC (Sportscard Guaranty). Recognizable by its black “tuxedo” border. Its holders are especially respected on pre-war cards.

Who Leads the Card Grading Market?

In one week tracked by GemRate, PSA graded more than 75% of over 650,000 items, CGC just over 18%, and Beckett nearly 3%. PSA’s parent company, Collectors, also owns SGC and Beckett, and together the three make up about 79% of the overall grading market.

How a Card Gets Slabbed

1. Submit. Pick a service level and send the card in, either directly or through a card shop.
2. Authenticate. The grader confirms the card is genuine and unaltered.
3. Grade. The card’s condition is scored.
4. Encapsulate. The card is sealed in a slab with its label and cert number.

What’s the Cost to Get a Card Slabbed?

Because grading costs add up fast, most collectors only slab their best cards: the ones whose value as a graded card would comfortably outweigh the fee.

Cost and speed depend on the service level you pick at various card-grading companies. 

As of mid-September 2026, PSA’s U.S. options were Standard at $59.99, Priority at $79.99 (70-80 business days), Express at $199 (20-30 business days), and Premier at $599 (7-10 business days). 

The new Standard level carries an estimated 90-100 business-day turnaround and a $1,000 maximum insured value. 

Paying for a faster tier doesn’t buy a better grade. It only speeds up the wait.

Slab Terminology for Trading Cards

• Slabbed: graded and encased card.
• Raw: ungraded card.
• Cracking (crack and resub): breaking a slab open to resubmit the card in hopes of a higher grade.
• Crossover: sending a card, still in its slab, to a different grader along with a minimum grade it has to receive.
• Reholder: getting a new case for a scratched or damaged slab while keeping the same grade.
• Pop report: how many copies of a card exist at each grade.

How to Tell If a Slab Is Real

Fake slabs are out there, and the scammers are getting better. Before you buy, run through these checks:

• Look up the cert number on the grader’s site, or scan the QR code. If the cert number doesn’t exist, the slab is fake. If it exists but describes a different card, the number was copied onto a fake, which is the most common trick. If it shows the right card at the wrong grade, the label was swapped or faked.
• Match the card to the cert image. Some scammers crack open authentic low-grade slabs, put in a better-looking raw card, and reseal them.
• Inspect the case. Rough, chipped, or uneven edges can mean the slab is fake or was resealed.
• Check that you’re on the real site. Some counterfeiters have built fake verification sites that look like PSA’s.

Trading Card Slabs FAQs

What does “slabbed” mean?
It means the card has been professionally graded and sealed in a protective case.

What does “raw” mean in cards?
A raw card is an ungraded card. A grading company hasn’t reviewed or encased it.

Can you open a slab?
Yes, but once the slab is cracked, the card is raw again. Cracking a modern slab can also cause pressure damage or edge and corner wear, which can instantly devalue the card.

Does slab condition matter for valuation?
Yes, it can. A scratched case looks careless to a buyer and can knock value off an otherwise perfect card.

What’s the most trusted grading company?
PSA has the biggest market share and is the most recognizable label. BGS, SGC, and CGC are all established names, and each has a reputation in specific categories.