Magic The Gathering - 8 Tips For Spotting Fake Cards

thegamer.com:

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released Magic The Gathering (MTG) in 1993, a turbulent time for tabletop gamers, with fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons in decline. Despite this, Richard Garfield’s creation took the world by storm, acquiring a legion of fans. Few could predict the success and its influence on the burgeoning industry to come.

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MTG fans fall into one of two camps, players and collectors, with some sprawling across the two. The secondary card market serves both camps, selling individual cards found in boosters. Prices for rare cards can hit hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. So it is no wonder that counterfeiters prey on the unwary as they make a quick buck. Here's what to look for so you can avoid fake cards.

Keep in mind that, sometimes, errors in the official printing process do occur that can cause a card to be incorrectly cut, aligned on the card stock, or even accidentally crimped in the printing process. These cards are sometimes even more valuable to collectors than a perfectly-printed copy, so make sure you use other methods to determine if the card is genuine and poorly printed, or a fake.

Let’s keep it simple. A fake card is one not of genuine origin but that imitates an official card. In other words, a copy of a card that wasn’t made by Wizards of the Coast, or a genuine card that is altered to appear like a different card, usually an older and higher value variant.

Fake Cards affect both players and collectors. Card values fluctuate as it is, but when counterfeit cards enter the market, they negatively affect the price and bring into question the authenticity of genuine cards. Competitive