How to Spot a Counterfeit Trading Card
Updated 2026-09-03
Do not try to prove a card is real with one trick. Compare it to a known genuine copy, use at least two independent checks, and stop the purchase if the evidence does not line up.
The thing that gets people here is usually not a terrible fake. It is a card that looks close enough, carries a great price, and arrives with just enough uncertainty to make you want to talk yourself into it. My take: do not try to win that argument with one clever test. Slow the decision down until the card gives you a consistent story. Wizards of the Coast makes the same basic point in its Buyer Beware guidance for Magic buyers.
How This Works, Game by Game
The most reliable tell is different for every publisher, Yu-Gi-Oh!'s hologram, Bandai's infrared test, Lorcana's card weight, pick your game below for the specific checks and real services that apply to it.