Counterfeit trading cards are a serious concern for collectors, buyers, sellers, and dealers. Some fake cards are obvious, while others can look surprisingly convincing—especially in photographs.
As the value of collectible cards has increased, knowing how to examine a card before spending significant money on it has become increasingly important.
At BuyPittsburgh, we inspect cards for authenticity before purchasing them. We do not knowingly buy, sell, or trade counterfeit cards.
This guide covers commonly used methods for identifying suspicious Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards, along with some of the tools collectors can use to examine cards more closely.
No single test can authenticate every trading card. Different sets, eras, languages, printing facilities, finishes, and card types can have different characteristics. Whenever possible, use multiple tests and compare a questionable card with a known genuine example of the exact same printing.
Tools for Checking Trading Cards
You do not need expensive equipment to perform a much better examination of a trading card. A few inexpensive tools can make a major difference.
Jeweler’s Loupe
A jeweler’s loupe is one of the most useful tools a trading-card collector can own.
A loupe allows you to examine printing details that are difficult or impossible to see clearly with the naked eye, including:
- Printing dots
- Rosette patterns
- Text edges
- Color layers
- Fine lines
- Mana and Energy symbols
- Surface texture
- Holographic details
- Small inconsistencies in printing
A 10x loupe is a good starting point, while stronger magnification can make extremely small printing characteristics easier to examine.
This is particularly useful when checking Magic: The Gathering cards because several commonly used authentication techniques involve microscopic details on the card back.
The best way to learn how to use a loupe is to start with inexpensive cards that you already know are genuine.
Look closely at real cards. Learn what their printing looks like. Once you become familiar with genuine printing, abnormalities become much easier to recognize.
Good Lighting
Always inspect valuable cards under good lighting.
Move the card through several angles rather than looking at it straight on. This is particularly helpful when examining:
- Holographic foil
- Surface texture
- Gloss
- Printing
- Alterations
- Scratches or surface damage
A bright flashlight can also be useful for comparing how light passes through a suspected card and a known genuine card.
However, the amount of light transmitted through a card can vary, so the light test should be treated as another piece of evidence rather than absolute proof.
A Known Genuine Comparison Card
One of your most useful authentication tools may simply be another card.
Whenever possible, compare the suspected card with a genuine example from the same:
- Set
- Printing
- Language
- Rarity
- Foil treatment
- Era
Compare the two cards side by side.
Differences that are difficult to notice from memory can become much more obvious when a genuine card is sitting directly beside the questionable one.
Start With the Exact Card
Before trying to authenticate an expensive card, identify exactly what you are looking at.
Determine the:
- Card name
- Set
- Card number
- Language
- Printing
- Rarity
- Foil or non-foil version
- Special treatment, if applicable
Then research what that exact version should look like.
This is especially important because trading-card manufacturers have used many different printing processes, card stocks, textures, foils, and finishes over the years.
A characteristic that is normal on one card may be suspicious on another.
How to Spot Fake Pokémon Cards
There is no single Pokémon counterfeit test that works on every card.
Pokémon cards have changed substantially over the history of the game, and counterfeit cards vary considerably in quality.
Instead, look at several characteristics together.
Examine the Holographic Pattern
An incorrect holographic effect is one of the first things worth investigating on a questionable Pokémon card.
Look for things such as:
- Foil appearing in areas that should not be holographic
- A generic rainbow effect across most or all of the card
- Incorrect holo direction
- Incorrect holo pattern
- Foil that looks unusually flat
- Excessive reflectivity
- Holographic effects that behave differently from a genuine copy
Tilt the card underneath a light and watch how the foil changes as the angle changes.
Most importantly, research the specific card.
Different Pokémon sets and rarities use different holographic treatments, so you cannot judge every card according to one holo pattern.
Examine the Texture
Many premium modern Pokémon cards have textured surfaces.
Depending on the card, a fake may have:
- No texture where texture should exist
- Very weak texture
- Extremely heavy or crude texture
- A generic repeating texture pattern
- Printed lines designed to imitate physical texture
- Texture that does not match a genuine example
Tilt the card under good lighting and examine the surface.
You can also use a loupe to look at fine surface details.
Remember that not every valuable Pokémon card is supposed to have texture. Always determine what the exact genuine card should have before using texture as an authentication test.
Check the Card Back
The Pokémon card back is extremely useful for comparison once you become familiar with genuine cards.
Look closely at:
- The blue coloration
- The Pokémon logo
- The Poké Ball
- Red and white coloration
- Borders
- Fine details
- Sharpness
- Overall printing quality
Some counterfeit Pokémon cards have backs that appear:
- Too dark
- Too light
- Too saturated
- Washed out
- Blurry
- Incorrectly colored
Do not rely entirely on memory.
Put a known genuine card beside the questionable card whenever possible and compare them directly.
Examine Fonts and Symbols
Small details can expose a counterfeit even when the overall card initially looks convincing.
Check:
- HP
- Attack names
- Attack damage
- Energy symbols
- Weakness
- Resistance
- Retreat cost
- Set symbols
- Card numbers
- Copyright information
- Letter spacing
- Font thickness
- Text alignment
If something looks unusual, compare it with a clear image or known genuine example of the exact card.
Examine Borders and Layout
Compare the physical layout of the questionable card with a genuine example.
Look for:
- Borders that are unusually thick or thin
- Artwork positioned incorrectly
- Text boxes in slightly different locations
- Incorrect proportions
- Incorrect corner shape
- Symbols or text that are too large or small
Keep in mind that genuine cards can be badly centered.
Poor centering alone does not make a Pokémon card counterfeit.
Look at the Printing With a Loupe
Use a jeweler’s loupe to examine several areas of the card rather than focusing on a single spot.
Look at:
- Artwork
- Text
- Symbols
- Borders
- Fine color transitions
- Card back
- Holographic areas
You are looking for consistency with known genuine commercial printing.
A counterfeit produced through a different printing process may appear convincing to the naked eye while looking very different under magnification.
The Light Test
A bright light can sometimes help identify differences between a questionable Pokémon card and a known genuine card.
Some counterfeit cards may allow noticeably more light through them than authentic cards.
However, do not make a high-value buying decision based exclusively on this test.
Whenever possible, compare the questionable card with a known genuine card from the same set and printing.
How to Spot Fake Magic: The Gathering Cards
Magic: The Gathering cards have several well-known authentication techniques that can be performed with magnification.
A jeweler’s loupe is particularly valuable if you regularly buy older or expensive Magic cards.
The Green Dot Test
One of the best-known Magic authentication methods is commonly called the green dot test.
Turn the card over and locate the green mana symbol on the back.
Under strong magnification, examine the lighter area inside the green dot.
On genuine Magic printing, collectors commonly look for a very small group of red printing dots forming an L-shaped pattern.
The pattern is extremely small and may be difficult to see without adequate magnification and lighting.
A questionable card may show:
- Large numbers of red dots
- Random red printing
- An incorrect pattern
- Different printing characteristics
- Incorrect surrounding color or line patterns
Do not reduce the entire green dot test to simply looking for four red dots.
The surrounding printing characteristics are also important, and legitimate printing variation can make individual microscopic features easier or harder to see.
Use the green dot test together with additional authentication methods.
Examine the Rosette Pattern
Trading cards are commercially printed using combinations of tiny colored dots.
Under magnification, these dots create recognizable printing patterns often referred to as rosettes.
Use your loupe to examine:
- Artwork
- Colored areas
- The card back
- Mana symbols
- Borders
Compare these patterns against a known genuine Magic card.
Some counterfeits use a different printing process, which can produce microscopic patterns that look substantially different even when the card looks convincing without magnification.
Examine the Black Printing Layer
Another useful Magic authentication technique involves examining black printing.
Certain black elements—including text, symbols, and lines—should appear relatively clean and distinct from the colored printing underneath them.
Under magnification, examine:
- Card text
- Set symbols
- Mana symbols
- Black borders
- Fine black lines
A counterfeit may reproduce these elements differently from a genuine card.
This should be treated as one part of a larger examination rather than definitive proof by itself.
Examine the Magic Card Back
Because the traditional Magic card back has remained recognizable for decades, becoming familiar with genuine backs is extremely useful.
Look at:
- Colors
- Lettering
- Mana symbols
- Borders
- Fine lines
- Printing patterns
- The word “Deckmaster”
- Overall sharpness
Use a genuine card as a reference whenever possible.
One Passing Test Does Not Guarantee Authenticity
This is especially important with expensive Magic cards.
A card passing one authentication test does not automatically prove that the entire card is genuine.
Altered cards, rebacked cards, and sophisticated counterfeits may require several different checks to identify.
For an expensive purchase, examine the front, back, printing, physical construction, and source of the card rather than relying on a single microscopic characteristic.
Other Warning Signs
Regardless of the trading-card game, several additional characteristics may justify a closer inspection.
Card Thickness and Feel
A questionable card may feel:
- Too thin
- Too thick
- Too flexible
- Too rigid
- Too glossy
- Too rough
- Unusually smooth
This can be useful supporting evidence.
However, genuine trading cards can feel different depending on their age, manufacturer, printing facility, finish, language, and storage history.
Card feel should not be used as your only authentication method.
Incorrect Dimensions or Corners
Compare the questionable card against a genuine card.
Look for differences in:
- Width
- Height
- Corner radius
- Border dimensions
- Overall cut
Small manufacturing differences can occur on genuine cards, but substantial differences deserve additional investigation.
Suspicious Printing Quality
Look for:
- Blurry text
- Pixelation
- Incorrect colors
- Poor registration
- Fuzzy symbols
- Unusually sharp digital-looking printing
- Missing fine details
Use magnification when necessary.
Photos Are Not Always Enough
A card can look very different in a marketplace photograph than it does in person.
Photos can hide important characteristics because of:
- Poor lighting
- Reflections
- Camera angle
- Image compression
- Low resolution
- Sleeves
- Top loaders
- Camera processing
A counterfeit may therefore appear much more convincing online.
Ask for Better Photos and Video
If you are considering an expensive card remotely, ask for clear images of the:
- Front
- Back
- Corners
- Edges
- Surface
- Holographic areas
- Texture, when applicable
For holographic or textured cards, ask for a short video of the card being tilted underneath a light.
That can reveal characteristics that a still photograph cannot.
A Cheap Price Is a Reason to Slow Down
An underpriced card is not automatically counterfeit.
Real bargains exist.
But if someone is offering a valuable card for dramatically less than its normal market value, perform additional due diligence.
Ask yourself:
- Why is the seller asking this price?
- Where did the card come from?
- Does the seller know what they have?
- Can I inspect it before paying?
- Can I compare it with an authentic example?
- Does every authentication characteristic make sense?
Do not let the fear of losing a deal pressure you into buying something you have not properly examined.
Do Not Rely on Destructive Tests
You may see videos where people tear trading cards apart to examine their internal construction.
This is commonly called a rip test.
The obvious problem is that the test destroys the card.
We do not recommend destructive testing of a card that could potentially be valuable.
You can usually gather far more useful information without damaging the card by using:
- Magnification
- Good lighting
- Genuine comparison cards
- Printing-pattern examination
- Holographic examination
- Texture
- Card backs
- Professional authentication
Never intentionally damage a potentially valuable card simply because an internet video told you that destroying it is an authentication method.
Learn What Real Cards Look Like
One of the best ways to protect yourself from counterfeits is surprisingly simple:
Study genuine cards.
Take inexpensive Pokémon and Magic cards that you know are authentic and examine them with your loupe.
Look at:
- Fronts
- Backs
- Text
- Symbols
- Borders
- Printing patterns
- Foils
- Texture
- Card stock
Compare cards from different eras.
You are not just trying to memorize what counterfeit cards look like.
You are learning what genuine cards are supposed to look like.
That knowledge becomes increasingly valuable as you handle more cards.
What to Do When You Are Not Sure
If something about a card does not look right, stop the transaction and investigate further.
For a valuable card:
- Identify the exact card and printing.
- Find known genuine examples.
- Compare the card under good lighting.
- Examine it under magnification.
- Research characteristics specific to that set and printing.
- Get a second opinion when necessary.
- Consider professional authentication for particularly valuable cards.
There is nothing wrong with saying:
“I need to research this card before I buy it.”
A legitimate deal does not become a better deal because you rushed into it.
Graded Cards and Professional Authentication
For particularly valuable cards, professional third-party authentication can provide another layer of protection.
Major grading companies examine cards for authenticity before encapsulation and may reject cards when authenticity is questionable.
If you are purchasing an already graded card, verify the certification information with the grading company.
Remember that when purchasing an expensive graded collectible, you are evaluating both the card and the holder.
No Authentication Method Is Perfect
This guide is intended as an introduction to commonly used trading-card authentication techniques.
It is not possible for one article to document every legitimate printing variation or every counterfeit.
Printing methods change.
Counterfeit techniques change.
Different cards require different examinations.
The safest approach is to use several pieces of evidence together and research the exact card before spending substantial money.
When something does not make sense, do not guess.
Stop, research it, compare it, and then make the decision.
Selling Trading Cards to BuyPittsburgh
BuyPittsburgh buys Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards and collections in the Pittsburgh area.
Cards are inspected for authenticity as part of our evaluation process. Counterfeit cards cannot be included in an offer.
We are especially interested in:
- Valuable individual cards
- Graded cards
- Vintage Pokémon
- Vintage and high-end Magic: The Gathering cards
- Sealed products
- Higher-value collections
If you have trading cards you would like to sell, contact BuyPittsburgh and send clear photographs of what you have.
Have something valuable? Let us take a look.