How to spot fake Yu-Gi-Oh! cards

Selling Yu-Gi-Oh! cards is a lucrative business for some. That being said, many people try to sell fake cards in hopes of making an easy profit. For newer collectors, it can be hard to differentiate real from fake cards. Thankfully in Yu-Gi-Oh! there aren’t as many complex counterfeiting techniques as some other popular card games. This guide will walk you through what to look for when judging a card’s authenticity.

Look over the text

This is where almost every fake Yu-Gi-Oh! can be identified. Have a real card next to you so you can judge the font and quality of the text. A quick note about the font is all Yu-Gi-Oh! card names are in all caps, so if a card is lowercase, it’s counterfeit like the cards above. And when it comes to the text’s content itself, google an image of the card you are authenticating to compare. Often there are misspelled words or completely wrong effect text on the fakes.

Compare the texture and images

Counterfeit cards are often printed on different quality material. So be sure to feel the card and check if its texture matches other Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Usually, sellers try to put them in sleeves to prevent you from checking, and although taking them out may damage them, it is important to check. Carefully inspect the attribute symbol and the level stars at the top of the card. Often fakes make the mistake of putting level stars on spell cards and fading the stars too much. These are both things to look out for when inspecting your cards.

Avoiding fake cards

If a card passes all of these tests, it’s most likely a real Yu-Gi-Oh! card. The best way to protect yourself from purchasing fake Yu-Gi-Oh! cards is to buy from trusted sellers. And if the price on a rare card seems too good to be true, chances are it’s a fake.