How To Spot Fake Pokemon Cards
Fake Pokemon cards are actually quite rare because you’d have to be stupid to try to sell them. You shouldn’t be worried about fake products or fake Pokemon cards as long as you’re buying them from a reputable source. But if you’re buying it from somewhere you’re not familiar with, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Here’s how to spot a fake Pokemon card.
What Are Fake Pokemon Cards?
Some might see packs that look suspicious and mistake them for fake cards. Fake Pokemon cards are different from re-sealed packs. A pack that is re-sealed means that the seller already opened and looked through the pack, and they may have even replaced cards. You don’t want to buy resealed packs either because you’re not likely to get any good pulls from them. If a card is fake, it means it wasn’t manufactured by the official company that makes Pokémon cards. There are several ways you can tell the real from the fake, but some are surprisingly convincing.
What To Look Out For
Here’s how to tell if a Pokemon card is fake. The first thing to look out for is the packaging that it’s in. Obviously, you can’t inspect the cards before buying them so be sure to take a close look at the pack that it’s in. If you have the time, you can even look up the pack that it’s in and compare pictures online to the product that you see. If you don’t see anything wrong with the packaging and you’re still suspicious of the cards that you pulled, there are more signs to look for.
Another thing you want to look for are spelling and grammar errors. Its more common for fake cards to have these types of errors but some real cards have errors as well, so if your card has an error, make sure to look up if that error is real. Many fake cards also aren’t as crisp and high quality as real ones. Watch out for any faded colors or smudging. Comparing the size and shape of a real card to your card is another good way to tell the authenticity. All cards are the same size. Some may be cut poorly, and the centering will be off, but the size is always the same.
Are Fake Pokemon Cards Illegal?
Though the seller might think they’re making a lot of money, it is illegal to knowingly sell a counterfeit product. You can fall into a lot of legal trouble if you do this. Whether you’re buying Pokémon cards online or at a local card shop, it’s best to be safe to look out for any suspicious signs that they might be fake cards.
The Rip Test
The final and most reliable test is called the rip test. This is when you rip the card in half to verify your suspicions and should only be done when either when you’re completely sure it’s a fake or you don’t care about the card. When real Pokémon cards are being made, there is a small layer of black ink that goes in the middle layer of the card. Ripping the card will expose this ink more clearly, if you see a black line, it’s a real card. Luckily, before you accidentally rip a real card in half, you can do the rip test without actually tearing your card. Look at the sides of your card, you should be able to see white with a tiny black line in the middle. This black line is the ink mentioned before and also confirms your card is real.