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Find your favorite Pokémon cards & items! (≧∇≦)ﾉ
(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
The fake cards
When you have been collecting for a long time, it becomes easy to spot fake cards at first glance, by the shine , the colors or even by touch .
But since most transactions take place online , you need to be extra vigilant and learn to rely solely on photos.
Here, the 4 cards shown here are all wrong !
It's noticeable that the reverse holography of the Pashmilla ( Cinccino ) is too opaque, while the Pyroli ( Flareon ) barely shines when it should. Furthermore, the colors on the back are either too strong or too weak.
Finally, it may not be obvious in these examples, but sometimes the texts appear blurry , due to poor print quality or because the cards are poorly cut and not centered.
Of course, it's always easier to identify a fake card when it's next to a real one .
Here, we can clearly see that the brightness is completely different, just as the colors on the back are much more faded .
To the touch , the card also has a cardboard-like effect, immediately betraying the counterfeit .
/!\ Even if it's for a child, even if you think they won't take care of their cards, DO NOT BUY these counterfeit cards ! Not only does it enrich the counterfeiters , but children might also trade them amongst themselves for real cards! Don't participate in this market ! ＞人＜；）
Finally, note that the following ultra rare cards: Full Art ( Pokémon or Trainer ), Rainbow , Gold, or VMAX / Terracrystals , are necessarily equipped with grooves , like a fingerprint.
If the map is smooth, move on!
In short , beware of offers that seem too good to be true (" 10 GX for €9.99!! " ಠ_ರೃ) and pay close attention to terms like ' Fan Made ', ' Unofficial ', ' For Children ', ' Proxy ' ( these are printable cards for testing a deck ), or ' Gift ', which are all terms that allow the seller to absolve themselves of any responsibility. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
AliExpress fakes
More and more fake cards sold on Aliexpress are now circulating on sales platforms, sometimes even with fake PSA dimming boxes !
However, there's a very simple way to spot them, even if you only have one photo from the seller. All the cards are printed from a single scan . In other words, the card wo n't have a holographic effect and will display the same pattern regardless of the light's position , which should n't normally be the case with a genuine card .
Let's take the example of a Charizard Crystal in its English version:
It's easy to see here that, despite the different angles in each photo, the holographic pattern never changes . Choose a few points or spirals that seem obvious to you and compare them.
If you're still not certain, go to the Aliexpress website and search for the same card. The result is undeniable: the holographic pattern is the same ; it's definitely a fake card sold for €0.99 on the platform.
How to tell the real ones from the fake ones?
Let's start with the Pokémon-ex cards from the EX block.
Not only must the illustration on these cards be holographic , but the border is also shiny , like on this Elektek! The Salamence (Drattak) photo on the right has no shine, so it's fake .
Pokémon Level X cards
Just like Pokémon-ex cards, Level X cards are holographic on the background of the illustration ( not the Pokémon! ), and the borders should shine in the same way.
The Rayquaza Lv. X on the right looks holographic , but you can clearly see that the edges don't shine as they should: that is, with a glittery style , like the Charizard Lv. X on the left!
Probably less common in counterfeits are Prime and SL cards ( secret Shiny Pokémon cards present in the Call of Legends expansion ).
Just like our examples above, the background of the illustration should shine , as should the borders , in the same glittery style.
The two cards shown here are real .
The Pokémon EX cards that appear in abundance in the Black & White and XY blocks are made in the same way: the background of the illustration, the details and the borders must shine, but not the Pokémon , which is matte.
If you find cards that appear to shine uniformly , then the card is a counterfeit .
The map shown here is a real one .
Full Art cards from the Black & White and XY blocks are also sometimes subject to counterfeiting.
Fakes can again be identified by their uniform shine .
True full art cards have a slight grainy effect on Black and White and a " fingerprint " effect on XY.
Finally, the Mega or EX cards from the XY block display the background in holographic form, and the Pokémon is matted.
There are many GX cards from the Sun & Moon series, and counterfeit versions are probably the most prevalent, even in French!
On the real cards , the background is holographic and follows a very specific pattern. As for the Pokémon , once again, it is matte .
Fake cards are very easy to spot because of their uniform shine , such as in the photo on the right.
Finally, the squad cards also feature matte Pokémon/Trainers on a glossy background . Once again, a uniform sheen betrays the counterfeit.
Also for the secret cards of Cosmic Eclipse , the Pokémon and its trainer are matte while the background shines .
It is impossible to obtain luminous lines like those in the photo below, therefore these are fakes .
Let's finish with the Sword & Shield block, where fake cards are legion.
Note that the V cards show the Pokémon with a matte finish , while the background shines . Furthermore, the light reflects off in thin lines, always diagonally!
As for VMAX cards, just like Full Art , Rainbow , or Gold cards, they inevitably feature grooves . Again, light reflects off them in fine lines, always diagonally.
In the photo below , the uniform shine and the coarse, vertical light reflections directly betray these counterfeits .
Bonus
It is possible that you may find this type of card in your pile of recreation cards stored in the attic for 20 years: these are fake cards dating from 1999-2000, which were circulating at the time.
It's not complicated to spot them, the counterfeits are so blatant, but you might wonder! O(∩_∩)O They are, however, prized by some collectors for the memories they represent.
And what about PSA counterfeits?
It is possible to come across advertisements for counterfeit PSA products.
The first thing to do if you have any doubt is to look up the PSA certification number in the database. If a deactivation message appears, such as the one below, then counterfeit vehicles with the same number are circulating on the market:
This is the Noctali Vmax Alternative card, of which there are many counterfeits.
You can also search on Aliexpress to find an identical card with a matching number.
If this step yields no concrete results, then you can refer to this very comprehensive and illustrated guide , explaining where to look on the casing , the label , and even the differences between the fonts used by PSA and by counterfeiters:
