"Foto von Steven Cordes auf Unsplash"

📅 Date: 29.07.2025

🕑 Reading time: 10 min.

How can I recognise fake cards and counterfeits in the TCG sector?

Introduction: The growing market – and its dark side

Whether Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering or more recent games such as One Piece TCG - trading cards have been experiencing a real boom for years. However, with rising prices and growing demand, the risk of falling for counterfeits or so-called “proxies” is also increasing.

It is often difficult to tell whether a card is genuine, especially for new collectors or those returning from childhood. In this article at , you will learn how to spot fake cards - whether you are buying online, at a flea market or trading cards from friends.

1. Haptics and material - first impressions count

Real TCG cards have a certain weight, a typical thickness and a special feel in the hand. Many fakes are noticeable at the first touch.

Checklist for the first impression:

Paper quality: Genuine cards are made of high-quality cardboard with several layers. Fakes often feel too smooth or too soft.
Thickness: Fake cards are sometimes thicker or thinner than originals.
Smell: Freshly printed fakes made of inferior material often smell strongly of solvents or cheap printing.

Tip: Always compare a suspicious card with a definitely genuine card from the same set - helps enormously!

2. Print quality & Colors - The magnifying glass doesn't lie

A popular trick among counterfeiters is to reprint genuine card designs. However, the print quality often gives the counterfeit away.

What you should look out for:

Blurred: Original cards have sharp edges, text and graphics. Counterfeits often appear slightly blurred or “pixelated”.
Wrong colors: Look out for overly strong, pale or wrong colors - especially in the background.
Text errors: Typography, font size or even spelling mistakes are a strong warning signal.

A popular tool is the loupe check (e.g. with a jeweler's loupe or macro camera). Genuine cards use a special raster print with tiny dots - fakes often show other patterns or continuous areas.

3. Light test: Real cards are multi-layered

Many TCGs - including Pokémon and MTG - consist of several layers, often with a black core (Black Core), which makes counterfeiting more difficult.

How the light test works:

Hold the card up to a strong light source (e.g. a torch). 
On genuine cards, only minimal light should shine through - the black core blocks it out.
With fake cards, you can often see the light clearly shining through - a sure sign of inferior materials.

4. The bend test: Only for professionals (and only for worthless cards!)

The so-called bend test (bend test) used to be a common means of testing Magic cards. The card is bent slightly and released again. A real card should spring back into its original shape without bending.

Important note: This test can damage cards and should only be carried out on cards with low value or under controlled conditions . It is not recommended for collector's items or valuable cards !

5. UV test & black light - secrets in the light

Many modern card manufacturers provide their cards with UV-sensitive markings or special printing properties that are only visible under black light.

Examples:

In Pokémon cards, certain areas are lighter or darker under UV light - such as the energy symbols or the Pokémon logo.
Magic: The Gathering cards show typical patterns or security features under UV light.
Yu-Gi-Oh! holograms (at the bottom right of new cards ) are highly reflective and have a unique design.

A small UV flashlight costs less than 10 euros and is a practical tool for collectors:inside.

6. The back: The most counterfeited feature

The back of a card is often the clearest indication of a counterfeit - especially with Pokémon and Magic.

Watch out for:

Color deviations: Even small nuances in blue or red can be a warning signal.
Wrong contrast: Genuine cards have rich colors, no "washed out" areas.
Wrong layout: Sometimes logos or patterns are slightly shifted - this is practically impossible with original cards .

7. Check online: Serial numbers & card databases

Many modern TCGs offer online databases where you can check cards for authenticity - for example via serial numbers, card codes or QR codes.

Practical resources:

Pokémon: www.pokemon.com -> card database
Magic: scryfall.com, gatherer.wizards.com
Yu-Gi-Oh!: yugioh-card.com + many community wikis

Compare your card with the original there: Are the image, text, card number and edition correct?

8. Check seller & origin

The best counterfeit detection is of little help if you buy from insecure sources. Therefore:

Avoid dubious online offers (e.g. suspiciously cheap boosters on classified ads). suspiciously cheap boosters on classified ads)
Check the ratings of dealers - especially on platforms such as eBay or Cardmarket
Distrust "bulk" purchases with hundreds of cards. purchases with hundreds of cards at ridiculously low prices
Watch out for missing logos or packaging seals

If a deal sounds too good to be true, to be true - it usually is

9. ask the community - together against fakes

Uncertain? Then it's better to ask too much than too little. The TCG community is huge and ready to help.

Helpful places to go:

Subreddits such as r/pkmntcg or r/magicTCG
Facebook groups & Discord servers for your favorite game
Local TCG stores or tournaments - here you can compare cards

10. Conclusion: Knowledge protects against fakes

Fake cards are unfortunately a growing problem - but with a little practice and the right eye, you can spot most fakes quickly. The more you spend time with your favorite TCG, , the better you will become at distinguishing originals from imitations.

In a nutshell:

Rely on haptics, colors, Light and UV tests
Buy only from reputable sources
Use online databases for comparison
Find out from the community if you are unsure

Stay vigilant - and have fun collecting, swapping and playing !