Real vs. fake

Most fake Pokémon cards give themselves away on the back, the texture, and a light test. Compare against a card you know is genuine from the same era whenever you can.

• ✓Light (rosette) testHold the card up to a bright light. A genuine card is opaque — you should not see light pass through. Many fakes are printed on thinner stock and glow through.
• ✓Back colour & blue layerReal cards have a specific blue swirl back and a thin black core layer visible on the edge. Fakes often have an off-blue, too-dark, or washed-out back, and no dark core line on the edge.
• ✓Texture & holoOn holo/ultra-rare cards, feel for the textured foil and look at how the shine moves. Flat, mirror-like or grainy holo that doesn't match official patterns is a red flag.
• ✓Font, spacing & colourCheck the energy symbols, HP font and set symbol against a reference image. Fakes frequently have slightly wrong fonts, fuzzy text, oversaturated colours, or a misplaced set symbol.
• ✓Set symbol & copyrightConfirm the set symbol, card number and the copyright/date line match the real set the card is from. Mismatches (e.g. a modern card claiming a vintage set) are a giveaway.

These tips help spot common fakes but aren’t a guarantee. For expensive cards, buy from reputable sellers and consider professional grading/authentication.

Yu-Gi-Oh! authenticity hinges on the holographic seal, card stock colour, and text quality. Konami prints to tight standards, so fakes usually slip up on at least one.

• ✓Eye of Anubis hologramGenuine TCG cards have a small holographic seal (gold for most, silver for some promos) on the bottom-right of the front. It should shift colour cleanly. Fakes have a flat, off-colour, or missing seal.
• ✓Card stock & brown coreReal cards have a slightly off-white front and a darker brown/grey core visible on the edge. Bend gently — fakes are often too white, too glossy, or have a pure-white core.
• ✓Front colour & borderThe tan/brown card border and artwork colours should look muted and consistent. Overly bright, blue-ish, or pixelated artwork suggests a scan-and-reprint fake.
• ✓Font & 1st Edition textCheck the name font, ATK/DEF numbers and the set/edition code. Wrong fonts, fuzzy small text, or a set code that doesn't exist are clear signs.

These tips help spot common fakes but aren’t a guarantee. For expensive cards, buy from reputable sellers and consider professional grading/authentication.

Magic uses a fine rosette dot print pattern and a distinctive card stock that counterfeits struggle to match. A jeweller's loupe is your best friend for high-value cards.

• ✓Rosette print patternUnder a loupe or strong magnification, real cards show a regular rosette dot pattern. Fakes often show a fuzzy, lined, or pixel-grid pattern instead.
• ✓Green-dot / light testHolding many genuine cards to light shows a faint green tint and a sharp blue core line on the edge. A washed-out or grey core line can indicate a fake.
• ✓Card stock & snapGenuine cards have a specific weight, flex and snap. Fakes tend to feel too stiff, too flimsy, too glossy, or unusually slippery.
• ✓Font, borders & set symbolCompare the typeface, mana symbols, set symbol and collector number with a reference. Wrong fonts, blurry text, or colour-shifted borders are red flags.

These tips help spot common fakes but aren’t a guarantee. For expensive cards, buy from reputable sellers and consider professional grading/authentication.