Identifying Fake Pokemon Cards

Every grandparent knows that the “world wide web” is a veritable hive of scum and villainy filled with murderers, rapists and down-on-their-luck Nigerian princes who still owe them a million dollars. But lurking out there, likely in the mysterious “dark web” that no grandparent understands but all are inexplicably afraid of, there is a cold and calculating villain plotting his next nefarious scheme to scam hard-working, honest taxpayers out of their cold hard cash: the Pokemon card scammer.

            Even if you haven’t yet encountered this villain in your own collecting adventures, it’s only a matter of time before you cross paths and it is to your advantage to be prepared to handle fakes. There are lots of good articles already out there that can help collectors identify common traits among fakes,  so today I wanted to highlight a personal experience I had purchasing a fake card.

            Last year I was in the process of completing my Legends Awakened expansion and needed only a handful of cards to finish the set. One of those cards was Regice, a standard non-holo rare card. So I did what many collectors would do in that situation, I went to eBay to see if I could find the card for a reasonable price. I found a Regice listing showing a stock photo of the card. $2.00 and a few days later, the card arrived at my apartment and I could tell right away that something was off.

            I did not have a legitimate copy of Regice when I receive this card, so I went online to check photographs of the real thing and compared it to the other non-holo rares I already owned from Legends Awakened. Right away I knew I had been sent a fake. I reached out to the seller who vehemently denied that the card was fake, even after I sent him pictures and an explanation of the differences between the fake and the real card. I opened a claim on eBay and was given a full refund.

            But how did I know that the card I received was a fake? When you compare the card I received to a legitimate version of the card, the differences become easy to spot.

[Fake on the left, real on the right]

1. Font - Many fakes can be quickly identified by a faulty font and in this case, the font size, type and formatting are completely different from the authentic card. Even when the font is otherwise close, many fakes fail to properly bold the damage values for Pokemon attacks. This is usually a fairly reliable way to tell if a card is an imposter.
2. Energy Symbols - compare the energy symbols between the two cards. Fakers have a hard time replicating the spacing, color and general formatting of energy symbols, giving fakes a squinched look.
3. The light test - Even in the early days of the TCG, an easy way to tell if a card is fake is to see if it is see through under a light. Real cards are opaque while fakes are transparent.

[notice the poke ball in the middle of the card - transparency is a strong indicator of authenticity]

4. Paper quality - This isn’t readily apparent in the pictures, but the cards are printed with different paper, ink and adhesive. The fake feels flimsy and almost sticky, the real card is sturdy and clean.
5. Color - The colors in this fake, and in many fake cards, are noticeably different from the real card. Fakes are usually a shade or two darker or lighter, and the colors are typically less vibrant and tend to blend together. This is especially apparent if you take a look at the backs of the cards.
6. Legal Jargon - Finally, many fakers cut corners and neglect to include basic intellectual property protections that are present on real cards. For example, on the fake Regice, the “TM” next to “Pokemon” on the back of the card is missing.

So what should you do if you think you have a fake? First, don’t be afraid to reach out to other members in the community for a second opinion. Collectors on Pokemon TCG websites, myself included, are more than happy to evaluate the authenticity of questionable cards. Second, if you do have a fake, don’t be afraid to open a claim on eBay or with whatever service you purchased your card. Many sellers are inexperienced and may not realize they have fake cards, but even if this is the case in your situation, don’t jeopardize your ability to be reimbursed by failing to take advantage of the remedies available to you. Finally, if you do receive a fake card, do the hobby a favor and remove it from circulation. Good options include burning, shredding and complex ritual sacrifice.

If you think you have a fake and would like a second opinion, let me know in the comments section or reach out to me on my blog at http://thecardpletionist.blogspot.com/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thecardpletionist/