Counterfeits have got better, but almost all of them fail at least one of these. Work down the list — the fast checks catch most fakes.
1. The light test (five seconds)
Hold the card up to a bright light. A real card has a thin black layer sandwiched inside it, so almost no light passes through. Most fakes glow visibly. Compare against a common card you know is genuine.
2. The texture and the edges
Real cards have a specific stiffness and a slightly textured front. Fakes often feel glossy, thin or waxy. Look at the edge of the card straight on: a genuine card shows that dark inner layer as a faint line.
3. Font, colour and spelling
Counterfeits get close, but rarely exact:
- Text that is slightly too bold, too thin, or wrongly spaced
- The energy symbols looking flat or the wrong shade
- Actual spelling errors — surprisingly common
- HP or damage numbers in the wrong font weight
4. The back of the card
The blue swirl on the back is the hardest thing to fake. Compare it side by side with a card you trust. Fakes are usually too purple, too dark, or noticeably blurry in the detail.
5. The rip test (last resort, destructive)
If a card is worthless and you want certainty, tear it. A genuine card tears to reveal a black inner layer. Never do this to anything you might sell.
Buying with less risk
The most reliable protection is buying from someone accountable. Every shop selling on The TCG OS marketplace is reviewed before it can list, so you can see who you are buying from rather than a username. And if you are unsure about a card you already own, the AI grader will flag surface and print anomalies from a photo — it is built to assess condition rather than authenticity, but odd print quality tends to show up.