Safety and fakes

How to spot fake slabs and resealed packs, avoid card scams, check a cert or an autograph, and store, sort, insure and protect a card collection.

Guides in this topic

How to tell a reprint from an original card

Safety and fakes 7 min read

How to tell a reprint from the first printing on Pokémon, Magic, One Piece and sports cards, by set mark, number, copyright year, stamp and size.

How to sort a card collection by set and number

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Sort cards in passes by game or sport, set, number, rarity and condition, with the keys each kind of card prints and the traps that put cards out of order.

How to protect cards from light and humidity

Safety and fakes 8 min read

How to measure humidity and trust the reading, when silica gel helps, what graders and supply makers say their holders block, and how to handle curl and damp.

How to move a card collection to a new home

Safety and fakes 7 min read

How to pack binders, card boxes and slabs for a house move, what a mover's high-value list and cover mean for cards, and how to keep boxes out of truck heat.

How to catalog a card collection: fields and backups

Safety and fakes 8 min read

Which details pin down each kind of card, how to photograph a collection as a record, and which card apps let you export your list before you rely on one.

How to spot fake sports cards before you buy

Safety and fakes 7 min read

The print, color, stock and foil checks CGC used to catch fake Jordan, Gretzky, Curry and Messi rookie cards, and how to test a parallel against its checklist.

How to tell if a One Piece card is fake

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Check a One Piece card against Bandai's card list, then its small clear stamp, text, back, art texture and stock, and look up the cert on any graded copy.

How to tell if a Magic card is fake

Safety and fakes 8 min read

Compare a Magic card with a genuine one from the same set, then check its rosette dots, black ink, back, hologram and stock. Skip tests that damage cards.

How to tell if a Lorcana card is fake

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Check a Disney Lorcana card's number and finish against the printings Ravensburger makes, compare it with a genuine card, and buy where Ravensburger lists.

How to check a graded card's cert: CGC, SGC, TAG

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Where to look up a slab's cert number at CGC, SGC and TAG, what each record shows, and what it means when the record and the slab in your hand disagree.

How to avoid card scams online: red flags and protection

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Red flags behind common online card scams, which ways to pay carry buyer protection as PayPal and the marketplaces describe it, and what to do next.

Card sleeves and holders: which one does which job

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Penny sleeves, inner sleeves, toploaders, semi-rigid holders, magnetic holders and team bags: what each is for, the sizes makers give, and what graders accept.

Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Lorcana card sizes

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Which card games are standard size and which are smaller, the sleeves and inner sleeves that fit each, and what CGC's holders take.

How to store trading cards so they keep condition

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Which sleeve, toploader, binder page and box suits which card, how card thickness is measured, and the humidity figures that archives and conservators give.

How to store sealed booster boxes and ETBs

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Where to keep booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes and cases: humidity and mold, why stacks crush, pests, light, heat and what keeps a box counted as sealed.

How to store graded cards and slabs

Safety and fakes 8 min read

Which boxes fit which slabs, how light and heat reach a card through its holder, what CGC offers for a worn holder, and what records to keep.

How to spot a resealed Pokémon pack or box

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Signs a Pokémon pack or booster box was opened and sealed again: crimps, glue, wrap, logos and card order, why no one sign is proof, and safer places to buy.

How to tell if a Yu-Gi-Oh! card is fake

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Check a Yu-Gi-Oh! card's set code and rarity in Konami's database first, then the foil seal, text, back and card stock, and look up a graded copy by its cert.

How to tell if a Pokémon card is fake

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Checks for a fake Pokémon card that leave it unharmed: the back, text, symbols, foil and edges, and why the light and rip tests are best skipped.

How to spot an altered card, and how graders treat it

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Trimming, recoloring, pressing and cleaning: what each alteration is, how CGC and SGC handle an altered card, and the checks to make before you buy one.

How to spot a fake slab: CGC and SGC checks

Safety and fakes 6 min read

Plain checks for a fake or resealed slab: the cert record, the holder, the label's security features and the card itself, using what CGC and SGC publish.

How to organize a card collection, step by step

Safety and fakes 7 min read

Sort cards by a rule that fits how you collect, give every box and row a location code, and keep an inventory that also serves as your insurance record.