Grading, Slabbing & Authentication of Custom Cards: Who Will Do It — and Under What Conditions

In the collectibles world, “slabbing” a card (i.e. putting it into a sealed plastic holder with a graded label) is often viewed as the gold standard of legitimacy and presentation. For standard, commercially printed trading cards, many graders compete — PSA, Beckett (BGS/BAS), SGC/CGC (in modern trading card divisions), etc. But in the realm of custom cards (cards printed or designed by third parties, often with added autographs or relics), the rules are more complex. Which grading companies accept them? Under what conditions? And how do you ensure your custom work qualifies?

In this article, I’ll break down:

• Which grading / authentication services currently accept custom cards (and under what conditions)

• Why having a legitimately authenticated autograph is typically a prerequisite

• Our partnership with Beckett, the “pedigree service” for Reclaim Customs, and our vision for eventually working with PSA again

The State of Play: Who Slabs Custom Cards (and Who Doesn’t)

PSA: Recent policy tightening & a more restrictive approach

PSA remains the most visible name in card grading, but its policies around custom or “altered” cards have become more cautious in recent years.

• In late 2024, PSA announced changes aimed at “closing a grading loophole” in which counterfeit or altered cards had sometimes been encapsulated simply because the autograph was authentic. Under the old system, a bad actor might use a fake card, add a real autograph, and submit it for authentication — PSA had in some cases slabbed these with a “Trading Card” label or a generic designation. The new policy states that PSA will authenticate the autograph first and decide whether to encapsulate — and that they are reducing or refusing slabbing of custom or altered cards in many cases. SI+1

• PSA’s “Service & Pricing Update” from January 2025 does not explicitly confirm or deny full acceptance of custom-card slabbing, but notes changes in services and increased scrutiny of items with signatures. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)

• In forums and collector circles, some believe PSA is rejecting more items that fall outside the “standard card” template (e.g. custom designs, added graphics, embedded relics) unless they meet strict criteria. Collectors Universe+1

In short: PSA is increasingly defensive about what it slabs. Many custom or non-standard cards now risk being returned ungraded or graded “Authentic” only (no numerical grade) — or outright refused.

Beckett / BAS & Beckett Grading: More flexible with customization

Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) and Beckett’s grading arm remain among the more open options for custom cards and autographed items, under certain conditions:

• Beckett’s Autograph Encapsulation / Authentication service includes tamper-evident encapsulation for trading cards, photographs, and other items. They explicitly allow trading cards to be encapsulated, provided the autograph is verified. Beckett Authentication

• Beckett’s grading service covers standard sports, gaming, and non-sports cards, and they maintain a graded card business that interfaces with authenticated autographs. Beckett

• Because Beckett views custom/autographed items as within scope of encapsulation (if authentically signed), they are among the more reasonable partners for custom pieces.

Hence, for many custom projects, Beckett is the practical slabbing/encapsulation choice — especially when your work includes an autograph that can be authenticated through Beckett or an approved service.

CGC / SGC (trading card divisions)

• CGC (formerly CSG) has increasingly gained footholds in trading card grading and authentication. Some collectors report that CGC is more open to slabbing non-standard or modified cards, provided they meet internal standards (authentic autograph, quality production, etc.).

• SGC has historically been more about vintage cards, but its parent company and sister brands are expanding into modern and custom domains. Some collectors switch to SGC when PSA rejects their custom or altered cards. Collectors Universe

While not as proven or universally accepted as Beckett, CGC/SGC routes are viable alternatives in certain cases — especially if PSA refuses a submission.

Key Condition: You Must Have an Authentic Autograph (or Relic Provenance)

No matter the grading company, there is a golden rule: you cannot slab a custom card unless the autograph (or embedded relic) is genuine, verifiable, and backed by a trusted authenticator.

Why is this so critical?

1. Authentication is a gatekeeperGraders are in the business of providing objective third-party legitimacy. If an autograph is fake, everything built on top of it (the custom design, relic, etc.) collapses. Most slabbing companies will authenticate the signature first before encapsulation or grading.

2. “Altered vs custom” nuanceCustom cards occupy a gray space between “altered” and “standard” cards. If the card's underlying design deviates too far (added graphics, embedded materials, unusual card stock), some graders may treat it as “altered” and refuse to assign a numeric grade — only offering an “Authentic” label.

3. Documentation, chain of custody, and provenanceEven with a valid autograph certificate or sticker, graders want to see consistency — labeling, consistency with known examples, matching databases, and high-resolution photos. The more documentation and transparency you provide, the better the chance of acceptance.

4. Slab integrity: no sticker tampering or replica stickersMany graders will refuse to slab a card if the authentication sticker appears compromised (peeled, reattached) or if the card includes unverified or foreign holograms/stickers. Anything that looks like a third-party sticker improperly applied or manipulated is a red flag.

In practice, your custom card projects must be built around a valid, provably authentic autograph. From there, the custom design is layered — but slabbing/grading is fundamentally contingent on signature legitimacy.

How Reclaim Customs Works with Beckett — and Our Pedigree “Label Integration” Vision

At Reclaim Customs, we understand the complexities and constraints of slabbing custom work. That’s why we’ve structured our operations and partnerships to maximize tractability, credibility, and future potential.

Our existing policy & authenticators

From the start, Reclaim Customs has required that any autograph we use must be authenticated by PSA, JSA, Beckett, or G.O.A.T. before we proceed. This baseline ensures every custom piece begins with a verified signature — never a guess.

Partnership with Beckett & Pedigree Label Service

One of our recent and most strategic moves was establishing a formal partnership with Beckett / BAS to support enhanced label recognition and pedigree branding for our custom work.

Here’s how it works:

• When we submit custom cards for slabbing via Beckett, they can include “Reclaim Customs” on the BAS label (or on the label’s pedigree line). This is often called a pedigree service — essentially, a branded acknowledgment of provenance or fabrication origin that is recognized by the grader.

• That pedigree label version is not automatic; it requires prior agreement with Beckett and must meet certain quality and authentication criteria. It ensures that, years down the road, a collector viewing the slab sees not just “Autograph Encapsulated — Beckett BAS” but also a traceable tie to Reclaim Customs.

• This label branding adds value to the custom piece and gives collectors greater confidence in the chain of craftsmanship, authentication, and grading.

• To use this service, it must be submitted through Reclaim Customs.

With this in place, Reclaim-custom pieces graded through Beckett will carry two layers of trust: the autograph’s authentication and the pedigree acknowledgement of our design process.

Our hope (and challenge): PSA someday re-slabbing custom work

While our Beckett partnership is strong, we’d love to see PSA reopen doors to custom-card slabbing in a broader capacity. Having PSA on board again would add prestige, comparability, and market recognition to our custom products.

However, we recognize there are obstacles:

• PSA is currently conservative about encapsulating non-standard/altered or custom designs (as discussed above).

• They may require custom work to conform to stricter design templates or guidelines.

• It will likely require formal contracts, quality thresholds, and perhaps pilot programs.

Nonetheless, while we see PSA’s stance as a long shot in the short term, we believe if Reclaim Customs consistently produces quality, authentic, transparent custom pieces, we may eventually earn reconsideration or special exception status.

Summary & Best Practices for Clients / Collectors

• Check autograph authenticity first. Without a valid autograph from a trusted authenticator (PSA, Beckett, JSA, G.O.A.T.), most grading houses will refuse or down-grade your custom piece.

• Choose the right grader for your custom design. Beckett / BAS currently offers one of the more flexible pathways for slabbing custom autographed cards. CGC/SGC may offer alternatives depending on design and market.

• Use pedigree / label branding where possible. Our partnership with Beckett means “Reclaim Customs” can appear on the slab label itself — a visible guarantee of origin.

• Avoid sticker tampering or unauthorized holograms. Altered or poor COA treatment is a red flag and will often kill a slabbing request.

• Document provenance heavily. Photos, signing events, chain-of-custody records — everything you provide to graders helps acceptance.

• Maintain hope, but don’t depend on PSA. While we aim to get PSA to accept custom work again, we’ll rely on Beckett (and possibly CGC/SGC) in the meantime to assure our projects can be slabbed and validated.