Are rip site cards real? How to check yours
Cards on rip sites such as Rips by Triumph and Phygitals are physical cards held in storage. Where each site keeps them, who graded them and how to check.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published Updated 5 min read
Yes. At Rips by Triumph and Phygitals, two of the sites we recommend in our ranking of rip sites, the card you open online is a physical card the site already holds, and you can ask for it to be shipped. The other sites below hold real cards too. What differs is where each one keeps the card, who graded it, how long it can stay, what ships and what covers it.
Where is the card while it sits in your account?
In the site’s own storage, or in a vault a partner runs for it.
| Site | Where the card is kept | Who graded it |
|---|---|---|
| Rips by Triumph | Triumph’s vault, until you ship it or trade it in | PSA, beside raw cards sold as they are |
| Phygitals | One of its three vaults, named on each card’s own page | Graded and raw cards, each graded one with its certificate number on its page |
| Gotya | Its own vault | PSA or CGC, with some raw cards too |
| Slabz | The vault Collector Crypt runs for it | PSA or CGC |
| Shiny | Its own vault | PSA |
| Packs.com | Your account backpack | No one: it sells raw cards only |
How long the card can stay. The clock differs a lot from one site to the next:
- Rips by Triumph keeps a card for seven days at most, then trades it in at the app’s own value.
- Packed holds up to 10 cards, each for 24 hours, then sells a card back for you at its value.
- TiltRips stores cards at no charge, and you can sell, list, hold or ship one whenever you want.
- Packs.com keeps cards in your backpack with no time limit.
- Gotya can turn the cards in its vault into account credit, at that day’s trade-in rate, after 180 days with no activity and at least two emails.
If you want the physical card from Rips by Triumph or Packed, plan to ship it soon after the reveal. The fees and clocks for each choice are in vault or ship it home?.
Is the card on screen the card in storage?
- Rips by Triumph decides your card when the purchase goes through. The opening animation is only for show and does not change which card you get.
- Phygitals gives every card you hold its own page, with the grade, the vault that holds it and the grading company’s certificate number, linked so you can check it.
- Gotya sells cards graded by PSA or CGC, each with its certificate number.
None of this replaces a check of your own once the card arrives. The reveal is an animation, and the label on the slab is the record you can verify.
How can you check a graded card yourself?
Use the certification number, the unique number on a graded card’s label.
- Find the number. It is printed on the label of the slab. CGC’s labels also carry a QR code.
- Look it up with the grader. Go to the grading company’s own site yourself; never follow a link from a seller. CGC images each graded card after it is placed in the holder and shows those images through its Verify CGC Certification tool, available around the clock.
- Compare the details. The card name, number, grade and images in the lookup should match the card in your hand.
- Check the holder. CGC’s holder and label carry security features against counterfeiting and tampering. A cracked or reopened holder is a reason to contact the site before you do anything else.
- Report a mismatch fast. Rips by Triumph asks you to report a damaged or wrong card within 10 business days. Drip Shop Live can refund a wrong item or a fake card if you ask within 7 days of delivery.
At CGC, each card is given a unique ID and barcode at the verification step, the graders do not see who sent it, and a quality check reviews the card, label and holder before it ships. For the wider question of fakes, see how to spot fake Pokémon cards and the glossary entry on counterfeit cards.
What about raw cards?
A raw card has no slab and no certification number, so there is nothing to look up. Its condition is the open question.
Rips by Triumph sells raw cards alongside graded ones, and the raw ones come as they are. Packs.com sells raw cards only, and it values each one at its market price for that printing in Near Mint condition, plus a small amount for taxes and handling. Gotya can buy a raw card back from you but cannot ship one. Our guide to card condition grades explains the scale used for raw cards.
What covers the card in storage and on the way?
In storage. If Packed cannot find a card when you ask for it, it sends you one worth 125% of its value instead. Drip Shop Live insures the cards in its vault, though that cover may not reach a card’s full value, so ship a valuable card home if full cover matters to you.
The trip to your door. Rips by Triumph lets you add insurance, and a card over a set value has to ship insured. Shiny ships redeemed cards worldwide with tracking and insurance. Drip Shop Live offers Shipping Protection at checkout, for loss, theft and damage in transit. For postage and fees, see what it costs to ship a graded card home.
The card’s value. Values move over time. Rips by Triumph fixes its offer at the value the card had when you bought the pack, and Packed fixes its offer the moment the card comes out. Rip.fan’s card price lookup shows recent market prices for comparison.
Our reviews of Phygitals and Rips by Triumph cover how those two sites ship, and our ranking of rip sites scores shipping and the vault as one of the eight things we rate.
Frequently asked questions
How does Phygitals check a card before it goes into its vault?
At Phygitals, every card that enters its vaults goes through the same authentication and cataloguing, and a card sent in is checked against its grading company, grade and certificate number. A tampered or relabeled case, or a certificate number that does not match the grader's records, is turned away.
What happens if Rips by Triumph loses a card in storage?
Rips by Triumph credits your account with the card's fair market value on the day it was lost, stolen or destroyed. If a card you ask to ship can't be found, it either credits that value plus the shipping fee and sales tax you paid, or buys and ships a matching replacement.
What condition are raw cards in at Rips by Triumph?
Rips by Triumph aims to keep its raw cards in Good condition or better. Any card not marked with a grade, including a Pokémon card not shown in a PSA case, is sold as a raw card.
What condition are Packs.com cards in when they arrive?
Every card Packs.com ships meets its Near Mint standard, which scores each flaw by severity and allows no more than 3 points in total. Each card travels in a sleeve and a rigid top-loader, and a card below the standard can be reported within 7 days of delivery.
How do you report a damaged slab from Gotya?
Email Gotya within 48 hours of delivery if you can, with the order and tracking numbers, clear photos of the slab and its packaging, and a short video of the damage. Keep the packaging until Gotya closes the case.