How To Spot Fakes Guide

pinta77 · #1 August 19th, 2012, 09:12 AM

Hello. I notice a lot of people around here posting threads to ask if their card is fake or bot. Maybe this will help out.

Intro:
There are lots of fake pokemon cards out there. They vary in quality as well as content. I have seen everything from simple copies of real cards, to completely unique fakemon trying to be passed off as legitimate cards. So how do you know if your card is fake?

Best Ways to spot fakes:

Look at the back: Check the back first. The blue border line should be a deep, defined blue color. On many fake cards, the blue border line will be a lot lighter then it should be. Sometimes you may not even be able to tell it's a border.

The card on the left is real, and the card on the right is fake. (Picture from pokegym)

Energy icons: Do the energy icons look normal? In many fakes, the energy icon almost doesn't fit in the circle. Look carefully at the energy icons, this is one of the easiest ways to tell if it's real or not.

Should it be shiny:Many fakes are simply copies of real cards. Because of this, some fakes are not shiny. So if you have, for example, a Deoxys/Rayquaza legend card that is not shiny, it is a fake because there is no non-holo version of this card.

On the other hand, some fakes go the extra mile and add foil. If you have a common card or uncommon card with Gold writing, it is probably fake.

Texture: Most fakes are made from different, and likely cheaper material. Sometimes, you'll be able to feel a difference right away. Same goes for foil. If the card has foil on it and it feels or looks different, it may be fake.

Misprints: It would be nice to believe you have a rare misprint, but it's more likely that it is fake. Many fakes make simple spelling mistakes, sometimes even in the pokemon's name. Look out for those.

Size: If it is a different size then a normal pokemon card (with the exception of jumbo promos) it is most definately fake.

droomph posted some great examples, take a look at those.

Where do fake cards come from?
These are some places that fake cards may come from.

-flea market: Almost definitely will always be fake
-small, family run stores: As donavannj said, this may not apply to small hobby shops. However
-post office, ice cream trucks: Places that normally wouldn't sell Pokemon cards, but are, probably aren't selling legitimate ones.
-Walmart(sometimes): I've seen some shady looking Re-packaged cards at walmart. I did purchase legitimate repackaged cards from walmart before, however others have claimed that walmart has sold fake cards before.
-Trading: Keep an eye on cards when you are trading with people, especially the younger folk. Younger kids may not pay as much attention to detail. Fake cards can easily slip into their collection.

What do I do if I got a fake card?

If you have any fake cards, I suggest you just hang onto them. They still display artwork just like other cards, albeit with low quality. Just don't circulate them and don't use them to rip people off.

Hope this helps

I anyone wants to post a card they suspect may be fake here, Ill be glad to tell you if it' real or not.

donavannj · #2 August 19th, 2012, 09:23 AM

You may want to clarify that small, family run stores one by explaining that this does not include family run hobby shops.

And Wal-Mart being a hot spot for fakes is debatable, as I've never gotten a fake from there before. Could be more of a regional matter, though, since I'm aware that Wal-Mart stores in my part of the country don't quite sell the same stuff as they do down south. All of the re-packaged after-market cards that get sold to Wal-Mart that I've encountered turned out to be legitimate cards.

As for those other places, you certainly must be wary of those, seeing as they're hardly normal venues for selling Pokemon cards.

droomph · #3 August 19th, 2012, 09:00 PM

I have a couple extra tips.

- Cards that have a ridiculously high HP (more than 200 on an common or an uncommon) are definitely fake. Of course, there might be people who are smart enough to leave the HP as is, so make sure to check the other signs too.
- Cards with different fonts than usual are fake. Check out the Fake Card guide to see what the font should look like.
-Normal fake cards will be really soft (like paper, but a tad bit harder), and a holo fake card will be incredibly hard, almost like corrugated cardboard, and feel like Mylar. Real cards will have the consistency of cardstock. Basically, if it looks like little thought was put into decorating the holo, it's most likely fake.
-By the same note, if a stress mark appears after a light bending, it's fake. I only say this because don't want to damage it in case it's actually real, but that's an alternative to the rip test.
-Holos will be incredibly shiny. If you can vaguely see yourself inside the holo, the card is fake. In a real card you should see smudges of light, and the normal holo (not the reverse) gives you a sense of depth, given that you look at the right angle. If it simply looks shiny it's not a real card.
- The back of the card looks light. This tip requires you to have at least one real card, any card. Doesn't have to be rare, just verified as legitimate in every way possible. Take the real card and place it next to the suspicious card. If the suspicious card is lighter than the real card, it is definitely fake.

So yeah, these are my extra tips. I'm sorry if I repeated you, but that's what I thought are the most important tips imo that I didn't find on your guide.

Also pics

Legitimate card:

Spoiler:

Fake card:

Spoiler:

Legitimate holo:

Spoiler:

Fake holo:

Spoiler: