Grading & condition

Fake Card Detection Checklist

Counterfeits fail on the things that are hard to reproduce rather than the things that are obvious. Work through these checks and this returns a weighted verdict, with the ones that are individually conclusive marked as such.

Print dot pattern under magnification

Genuine cards show a regular rosette pattern. Counterfeits often show a fuzzy or square dot grid.

Surface gloss and texture

Reprints are frequently glossier or flatter than the original stock.

Colour against a known genuine copy

Counterfeit colour is usually close but slightly off in saturation.

Card stock seen edge-on

Original stock has a distinctive layered look; modern paper does not match it.

Dimensions against the era standard

Wrong size is conclusive on its own.

Typography and spacing on the back

Fonts are the hardest thing to reproduce exactly and the most reliable tell.

Weight and stiffness in hand

Counterfeits usually feel lighter or more flexible.

Held up to a strong light

Layer structure and any inserted material shows through.

—confidence it is genuine

How conclusive each check is on its own.
Check	Weight	Your result	Why it matters

The checks that actually decide it

Typography and print pattern are the two that catch nearly every counterfeit. Fonts have to be reproduced exactly, and almost nobody does — letter spacing, stroke weight and the shape of numerals drift. Under a loupe, genuine offset printing shows a regular rosette of coloured dots; a scanned-and-reprinted card shows a different structure entirely.

Counterfeit versus reprint

A reprint is an authorised or openly acknowledged reproduction, often marked as such on the back, and it is legal to sell as what it is. A counterfeit is made to deceive. The distinction matters because a large share of "fakes" in circulation are old reprints that lost their marking to a trimmed edge — which is why size and the back text are worth checking together.

The strongest single defence. For any card worth real money, buy it already graded, or send it in. A slab is not infallible, but it moves the authentication risk onto a company with a guarantee, and that is worth far more than the fee on a card where being wrong costs four figures.

Questions people ask about this

How can you tell if a card is fake?

The two most reliable checks are typography on the back and the print dot pattern under magnification. Fonts are extremely hard to reproduce exactly, so letter spacing and numeral shapes drift on counterfeits; genuine offset printing shows a regular rosette of dots where a reprint shows a different structure. Wrong dimensions are conclusive on their own.

What is the difference between a reprint and a counterfeit?

A reprint is an acknowledged reproduction, usually marked as such on the back, and legal to sell as a reprint. A counterfeit is made to deceive. Many "fakes" in circulation are actually old reprints whose marking was removed by trimming the edge — which is why checking size and back text together catches more than either alone.

Are graded cards ever fake?

The card inside a genuine slab is very rarely fake, but counterfeit slabs exist. Verify the certification number on the grading company's own site and check that the reported card matches what you are looking at. That lookup takes ten seconds and defeats the great majority of slab fakes.

Where these numbers come from

Rates on this page were last checked against the published price lists on September 4, 2026. Grading companies change fees and pause tiers without notice — confirm the total on the submission form before you pay.