How To Spot Fake Pokémon Cards

One of the most common questions we hear is, “How do you know if a Pokémon card is fake?” Well, there are lots of ways to make sure your cards are authentic and we are going to look at some simple ways to spot fakes and some ways to ensure you only get genuine cards.

Sadly, fake Pokémon cards play a huge role in the Trading Card Game. They are everywhere and are very easy to find and buy. You will often see that these cards are extremely cheap compared to genuine cards. That’s our first red flag to look out for. If you are able to purchase a Booster Box for a fiver, I would maybe think twice about it. Authenticity is very important to the game and particularly to collecting. There have been many scams involving high profile people in the Pokémon game that have involved a lot of money. It is this kind of thing that gives Pokémon a bad name and if we can avoid these scams and fake cards then the better our reputation will be.

Saying that, I do know people who purposely buy fake cards for their very young children because they are so cheap and it doesn’t matter if they get stuffed into coat pockets and stamped on on the school playground. But it is not good for the long term of the game and it is important that these kids understand that the cards are fake and they need to be shown the real cards as soon as they can be trusted with them! That said, let’s have a look at some more key indicators of spotting fake Pokémon cards.

Physical Inspection: Fake Pokémon Cards vs Real Pokémon Cards

I’m sure many seasoned collectors will be able to look at a card and just know that it is a fake and you will too with a little practice. Maybe you’re lucky and have never had to deal with fake cards, but unfortunately, many people are not that lucky. If you have a card that you think is fake, make sure you have a genuine one nearby to compare it to and you will easily spot all sorts of issues.

The first thing we can look at is the size of the card. Often the fakes will be a lot smaller or sometimes even a bit bigger. Overlay them onto your genuine cards and you might find a difference. Some of the newest fakes are quite accurate in their sizing and so this one may not be a guaranteed indicator, but if you do find massive size disparity then it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s a fake.

The next thing is the colour on the card. The colouring is always different to the real thing. They often look far too saturated and vibrant or really washed out and under coloured. The reverse will help you with spotting this as well. On genuine cards, the reverse borders are crisp and defined all the way round the card. On fakes, they generally merge with the rest of the background in the corners, they are not clear cut and defined. The PokeBall on the back should be bright, and again defined, but often it is not with fake cards, and the different parts will almost seem to merge into each other. I have even seen fakes before which don’t have the same back at all, some even with just a black back, and some without the Pokémon writing on them. These are extreme cases and are particularly obvious, but the colours around the border, particularly in the corners, is a real tell tale sign.

The most common way that people are able to spot fakes is by comparing the front of the cards and this is especially true for modern Full Art cards. Modern Full Arts are textured on the front, whereas fakes are not, they are smooth and reflect light in lines down the cards. This is extremely obvious and if you have seen this before then you will immediately know what I’m talking about. The texture, or lack of, is the most obvious sign of a fake card and is the easiest one to spot with no effort at all.

Another thing to look out for on the front of the card is the text. It will often be a totally different font to real cards, sometimes even a different size and on occasion, different words altogether! If you have spent a long time around cards and seen plenty of genuine ones, you will soon become accustomed to what the text should look like and you will immediately notice when something isn’t right. Again, having some genuine cards around for reference is always a good thing. There are some printing mistakes and spelling errors on genuine Pokémon cards, but these are very rare and are genuine ‘error cards’.

The next thing to check is the feel of the cards. This might sound a bit strange but fake cards are often very flimsy and thin and have a totally different feel to real Pokémon cards. They will sometimes feel very papery and light and bend really easily. If you have some of these you could do a ‘Rip Test’, if you’re feeling brave. It’s not something I recommend, but when ripped in half, fake cards will just have the plain paper inside. Genuine cards, when ripped in half, have a very defined layer of ink right through the middle and this is unmistakable. Obviously, don’t go ripping your Gold Star Umbreon in half because you think it might be fake! There are better things to check first!

Can I Get My Card Professionally Authenticated?

There are professional companies out there that specialise in authenticating Pokémon cards. Many of the largest and most reputable are based overseas in America, so it is not always easy to get your cards to them. These services are often best reserved for high value cards as the fees for authentication are not cheap. The trading card boom over lockdown saw these companies flooded with cards to be authenticated and graded and some had to shut down for months while they cleared backlogs.

The most common and reputable companies include Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and Certified Gauranty Company (CGC). Each of these companies is based in the USA and have a good reputation in the Pokémon Trading Card world. When cards are authenticated, they are enclosed in a solid plastic case and given a grade from 1 - 10 based on their condition. Buying these graded cards is a good way to guarantee their authenticity, although they are a lot more expensive than buying cards in their raw state.

The cost for this grading and authentication process vary massively and can be anywhere from £15 per card right up to £150 per card, depending on the service level and card value. So think carefully before sending off your cards, common Caterpie’s are probably not going to be worth it!

The Consequences of Selling Fake Pokémon Cards

I think it goes without saying that the consequences of buying and selling fake Pokémon cards can be devastating for all parties. If you are selling them as non genuine and everyone is aware of that then at least people know what to expect. If you are trying to pass off fake cards as real ones then you could be subject to legal matters for passing off a product to be something it is not. For most people it is the effect on their reputation that is most damaging. News spreads fast around the Pokémon community, with tons of Youtubers and news outlets quick to pounce on someone bringing the hobby into disrepute, and you kind of have to agree with them. No one wants to be on the wrong end of some fake cards and with the help and knowledge that is available today, no one has to be.

Our Top Tips for Buying Genuine Pokémon Cards

When it comes to buying cards, there are a few ways that you can ensure that the cards you are buying are genuine. Firstly, stick to some major retailers. This is the easiest way to guarantee that you are buying genuine products, supplied by the Pokémon Company. If you feel confident that you know what to look for in cards then you can use other places like ebay but be sure to check pictures thoroughly and check feedback of the sellers. In fact, checking the feedback of anywhere you are buying from is a great habit to get into.

There are lots of online forums and information, including some great videos on Youtube, where they will showcase fake Pokémon cards in detail to show you exactly what to look out for. Keeping the hobby genuine and respectable is what most people want from Pokémon and so avoiding these fake cards goes a long way to helping that.

If you can keep some genuine cards nearby to compare any that you are concerned about then that’s a great idea. As well as buying from trusted sources and stores. Finally, if you want to get your cards authenticated professionally and graded then definitely look into shipping your cards to one of the grading companies we mentioned earlier. Spotting fakes really just comes with practice and the more you have to do it, the easier it will become.