How to Identify Fake Pokemon Cards

As Pokemon is one of the most popular card trading game, it is helpful to know how to identify fake Pokemon cards. Pokemon cards are collected by millions of enthusiasts around the world. People often pay other gamers money to buy and exchange these cards. However, they feel cheated when they find that the cards that they have bought are not genuine. You can be easily duped if you do not know how to identify fake Pokemon cards. These are the cards that are not created by official game creators, but by scam artists interested in making quick money.

Always prefer to buy Pokemon cards from reputable websites only

With billions of cards with different designs in circulation, it is easy for scam artists to design and create counterfeit cards that are either duplicates or contain moves and features that are not there on genuine Pokemon cards. You have to be alert while buying Pokemon cards and know the price of a pack of Pokemon card pack (which is around $4). If you are getting a massive discount and the website is not a reputable one, it is better to stay away from the deal. Children should desist buying from friends at school and stick to reputable websites only.

The tell-tale signs to identify fake Pokemon cards

In general, there are many signs that tell you what you are holding in your hands is not genuine and authentic but fake or imitations of real Pokemon cards. You must closely look at the tell-tale signs to identify fake Pokemon cards.

• Fake cards look and feel poor and paper in contrast to real Pokemon cards.

• You can see the color difference in images of fake Pokemon cards.

• Images and text are centered in real cards while they are off the center in fake cards.

• You can often encounter misspellings in fake cards.

• Sometimes, fake cards do not carry the Pokemon logo on their back.

• Packaging of the cards is poor.

• Energy symbols on fake cards are bigger than on real cards.

• Check HP and attacks. Real cards have HP under 500 and it is always written as 100 HP and not HP 100.

• Fake cards often do not carry the accent over e that is there in real Pokémon cards.

• The font used in real Pokemon cards is darker and bolder than the font used in fake Pokémon cards.

• Trademark and copyright symbols are often missing in fake Pokemon cards.

• If you suspect that the cards are not real because of the flimsy quality, hold a card and see it in bright light. If you can see the back image by looking at the front of the card, you have a fake card in your hand. 

If you follow these tips, you are likely to avoid being duped by others.

Real Pokeman card image by tjevo9-iamthedoctor

Fake Pokeman card image by Raichu99 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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