I’m currently creating an Instagram to display my collection and have noticed some people blur out the PSA cert numbers. Why is this done? Is this recommended for expensive cards?
It’s because they have something to hide. Looks bad.
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Okay, great so then there’s no need for me to do this. Thanks for the help.
When I first started sharing my collection online I covered up my cert numbers so other people couldn’t use the photos in scam sales on eBay or elsewhere, and someone also told me that it was possible to counterfeit the labels (this was when there was no authenticity seal/cert numbers on the back). It’s not always nefarious intent when covering labels.
I quickly learnt it was an exercise in futility and if someone wanted to scam people, they’d find a way regardless of what you did.
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If I really wanted to, I could compile a list of the certs for every specific card. This behavior of cert hiding is nothing but (useless) tinfoilhattery.
But if it makes people less paranoid about sharing their collection, then they should feel free to continue.
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I could see another potential reason, regardless of how farfetched it might seem - doxxing. If someone well-known on instagram routinely posts their ebay purchases that include the cert numbers, it may be possible for an ebay seller to connect the dots and then know that instagrammer’s real life address. Can never be too safe in this day and age when it comes to personal privacy.
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I didn’t say good or bad. I just said they’re hiding something and it looks bad.
I wish all sellers would do it. Me and thousands of others won’t bid on listings where they’re hiding the cert# so it’s better for the rest of us;)
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There is no legitimate reason to hide a cert. It is literally hiding the ability to verify authenticity.
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Most of the people hiding cert numbers fail to hide the barcode as well, which makes the practice completely useless given how high quality pics are these days.
I mean, if people just don’t want to show the Cert number because it’s their card, so be it.
But people trying to sell cards without a visible cert number are certainly something that should raise suspicion.
I had one guy explaining it on Facebook like this:
‘I don’t want people to see I had 20 graded in one go and they have sequential numbering’
Which I think is a valid reason, especially when you going to off load them and don’t want to make 20 individual photo’s to show the numbers.
Translated;
“I don’t want people to see I’ve blown up the population with just one order and thus show the market price is probably taking a dip”.
That reason is not valid to cover serials. It’s BS and an attempt to trick the buyer.
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Any buyer is free to verify the population number of any given card on the PSA website.
Of course the buyer is, but often sellers who hide serials won’t be giving that info until they’ve actually bought or after negotiation of price.
Pop report doesn’t tell you how many are graded in a row or how many are graded by a certain submitter.
Sellers hide the serials in this instance to stop people from seeing that they have 20 copies of the same card for example. It’s probably one of the least scummiest techniques, but it’s still pretty rubbish.
people think the anonymity of it makes them look c00l
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This me. (Missingserialno.) 
I just assumed they didnt want people to put the cert number in their personal registry. I did not know that there could be any other reason for hiding the cert. Learn something new all the time on here!
If you don’t want it made public that you spent $XXXX on a card that’s your business. If you are trying to sell the item it’s different but when it comes to showing your collection it’s completely legitimate to cover the serial number. I would do it for certain cards if I wanted to publicly show them off. However, most of the time there is no reason to hide the serial number. An easier way to keep things anonymous is to just not show them off at all 
And yeah, it really does make you look like part of the tinfoil hat squad when you cover your serials…
people should just a huge ebay username watermark across the picture, that way they cert number can stay visible. Also less chances of the picture being used on a scam listing
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Like this?
I’ve been lazy in applying my watermark, but then again, I never cover serial numbers.
In a tragic twist of irony, I no longer own that card above though =/
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This took about 5 seconds 
Put your watermark over a more complex area next time 
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