How to Spot Counterfeit Pokémon Cards
You bought secondhand cards and are wondering whether you ended up with a counterfeit. You can check them, but no home method offers absolute certainty. Here is what you can realistically examine and where at-home methods reach their limits.
Where counterfeits are most often found
Most reports of counterfeit sales come from flea markets. That is the first thing to bear in mind before you even pick up a card. Where you buy it can say as much about the risk as the card itself.
Price as a warning sign
A set priced dramatically below its suggested retail price is an almost certain warning that the product is counterfeit. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.
A quick card test
Holding a card up to a bright light is one way to spot a counterfeit, because fake cards are often translucent. The test is quick, but not conclusive.
What to inspect on the card itself
Check six things when assessing authenticity:
- edges: the bevel should be even; an uneven texture is a warning sign,
- colors: look for ink bleed, most visible around the edges and border,
- shape: check whether the card is warped or bent,
- gloss: watch for a finish that is too strong or uneven,
- layers: check the side for visible separation between the card layers,
- dimensions: cards have precisely defined measurements, and fractions of a millimeter matter.
Packaging and newer cards
Knowing what genuine packaging looks like can help you avoid being fooled. It is also worth knowing that newer cards, rather than older ones, are counterfeited most often. Only one entry on the list of the ten most common counterfeits is more than eight years old.
Limits of identification
Counterfeits are becoming harder to identify, and some warning signs are invisible to the naked eye. The six-point list offers tools, not proof, and provides no guarantee.
A store that specializes in cards may be able to assess a suspicious card if you want more confidence than an at-home check can provide.
You can use our catalog to compare the appearance of a card with a particular number. The catalog contains 12,027 cards from 109 sets released in the years 1999–2021.