Dear Users,
Very Friendly Sharks has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy regarding counterfeits, fakes and searched-sealed products. It’s part of our Ts&Cs for a reason.
When you receive a new packaged order, we advise you to film the opening of each order and go through every advised step outlined in this guide (light test, weight test and green dot test) to ensure that the products you’ve bought are authentic. This is especially true for rare or expensive items.
Without proof, the sellers and Very Friendly Sharks won’t be able to help you on the extremely rare occasion that you should find fakes or counterfeits.
Bear in mind that, although fakes can circulate, they can do so without a seller knowing, hence why we also state that all sellers should check their products before selling as it’s your responsibility to make sure you do not sell counterfeits—still, being human means that some mistakes can still happen.
99.969% of all sellers and products are legit, and if any problems arise, sellers should take the responsibility of handling the order.
We will actively monitor all users with orders reported containing counterfeits, regardless of whether they have 5/5 stars.
Rest assured that your money is completely secure with us. We offer a free middleman service for all orders to ensure that credit doesn't move into the seller's account until you've confirmed that the order has arrived or 30 days have elapsed from dispatch. So, you can confidently make your purchases without any worry about the safety of your money.
Repeat offenders (both who continuously report counterfeits order after order and sellers included) from either side will be dealt with swiftly. This means there will be zero leniency towards anyone who wants to abuse our system.
In the improbable chance, 1 or 2 out of tens of thousands of sellers and orders, that someone knowingly sells a counterfeit therefore, with malicious intent, we will be smiting and investigating the case quicker than you can blink.
All users found doing so maliciously will not only be removed from our website, banned and will never be able to register again but we will also be entitled to take legal action against them as they will be in breach of our terms of service. Thanks to our PSP’s strict rules, we have all the legal information to pursue an individual legally should the need arise.
DO NOT TRY IT. Our lawyers know their kung fu.
If you have proof (after following this guide) that the card or product you’ve received is counterfeit or fraudulent, contact our support and the seller ASAP!
Our team will start investigating the issue as soon as the ticket is seen, but it might take some time for you to know the investigation results.
Please don’t fret; we’re on it.
As buyers and players, one of our biggest fears arises with the question of authenticity. In this day and age, when card prices are rising (and as rumour has it, some of the counterfeits are better quality than the real deal), we are all tempted, from time to time, to go off the beaten path and stray into the wilderness of the internet, or just unable to pass on a great deal. Then, finally, the card arrives, and after the first look, you have a bad feeling about the whole deal.
It's essential to make a difference between a proxy and a fake. The outcome might be the same (a card not being tournament legal), but the intent can’t be more different. You make a proxy to test a bunch of cards or a whole deck before you buy it or for those unofficial proxy-friendly Legacy and Vintage events you can’t afford to play in otherwise. A fake is what some **** knaves sell you on the internet, pretending to be real.
Despite popular belief, this issue with counterfeit Magic: The Gathering cards have existed since the game's advent, but with the development of technology, they can travel around the world easier, making it a global problem.
One of the significant challenges when trying to spot fakes is that it is nearly impossible to do so without having the card to hand, especially when the fake is of high quality. If you can tell them by looking at pictures like this (just one look at the card on the right shows a lot of problems), the culprit didn’t really put much effort into it.
This is especially relevant when using our platform, as the users will only meet on rare occasions.
Therefore, the purpose of this guide is to give you simple steps to follow when opening your order and to actively encourage users to build up confidence in judging the authenticity of cards for themselves.
Knowledge is Power!! Use it wisely, but do not be afraid of it!
Magic: The Gathering cards, like any other cards, have several card-stock characteristics which we grow to associate with them. We expect a certain quality, look and feel and how they respond to pressures such as shuffling in a manner which has a consistent quality.
If one of these general characteristics is not there, then it’s time to investigate. Depending on the length of our playing experience, most players develop the skills which make them capable of intuitively detecting a flawed Magic card. Still, if you are newer to the game, it is worth sitting down and comparing some Magic cards to get used to the feel of them. Never throw away every identified fake. Keep some of them around for future reference, and take your time to develop these instincts. It will be well worth your time. Like in any business involving fakes, our first line of defence is experience and familiarity.
“Money be Green, Money feel like money “D’Angelo Barksdale
Two things are worth noting here before we proceed:
Because of this, most counterfeits will be in incredibly good condition.
While we are on topic, let’s touch on a very important note. Wizards of the Coast use different facilities to print cards across the world. European, American and Japanese printed cards can have different variations in the ink, cardstock used, etc., which can result in two real copies of the same cards appearing completely different. Particular cards are well known to have variations most notable one is Gaea’s Cradle.
(Left: darker, EU-printed version of Terror Ballista. Right: is the lighter one printed in the USA)
(The 2 leftmost cards are JP, and the right card is EU. Image courtesy of magicjudges.org.)
As we can see from the above example of Belgium-printed vs USA-printed, the cards have a visibly lighter shade, like your “acid wash jeans”. This is a very clear colour discolouration, and it can look very much like a fake card, even though both are real.
Different types of trading cards are made in different ways.
The Japanese-made cards have more gloss and a lacquered feel, while American cards are coarser in texture and feel lighter.
The Japanese foiling is a bit cloudier, and the EU cards feel more like cardboard, especially at the back where the foiling isn't applied. American cards have a reputation for curling, sometimes even in sealed packs.
When you touch Japanese cards, your finger will glide differently on them because they have a silky and smooth texture.
(Left card USA, right card EU. Image courtesy of magicjudges.org.)
It's worth noting that the American foils found in the Guild of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance sets have a unique "transparent" watermark that allows the foil layer to shine through, while the Belgian versions of the same foils have an "opaque" watermark that doesn't allow for the same effect.
The same applies to all other sets, where USA foiling feels more transparent than EU and JP ones.
Please keep in mind that sometimes things might change depending on the expansion and set, so EU could be the lighter printed ones, have a different texture, etc.
On top of that, Japanese-made foils are noticeable just by looking at them from the top. The darker shade is a dead giveaway.
For Sealed products, you can tell the place of printing by looking at the made-in section. And on the outside of the boxes should indicate.
Some cards come straight out of the gate misprinted. Now, you may find some of these inside your products, or some people might sell them. You’ll find that in certain circles these cards hold extra value.
Misprints can contain, but are not limited to, any of the following:
Here are some examples taken from different Facebook groups:
It is essential to note that these cards, when tested, will pass the authenticity tests because they are real cards.
Please also note that fake foils are very easy to spot, especially if you have an authentic one to compare it to. This is due to the forgers not being able to reproduce the process that WotC has for foiling.
Fake foils will look duller, less shiny, the foiling sheet will cover the whole card and won’t have as many elements highlighted with different types of foiling.
Here are some examples of fake foils:
(A fake card that imitates a promo. Image courtesy of magicjudges.org)
(Two fake cards that imitate masterpieces. Image courtesy of magicjudges.org)
These cards do not have the real foiling patterns and are much duller. On top of that, the edges tend to be super chipped, almost like sparkling dust speckles.
Here, instead, are two variations of authentic foil cards:
(Image courtesy of magicjudges.org)
As you can see in the case of these masterpieces, the light and shine covers and hits more elements with a lot more nuances than just the bland and dull layer of foiling that counterfeit cards have.
Please note that just like other cards, foils will not pass any of the mandatory tests you need to do to ensure authenticity.
Before we dive deep into the matter and channel our inner Sherlock Holmes, we need to talk about the tools of the trade. The things you will need to conduct these tests are as follows:
These things don’t have to be the highest quality appliances, but if you want to be the future purveyor of luxury-priced cardboard rectangles, it is worth looking around for the best value-for-money options. Mobile Phones nowadays can have most of these functions, so you don’t have to buy much.
Let’s start with the ones we recommend you do and that you record. These are the following:
To ensure that your card is authentic, make sure to test all three tests and record it to have the proof in case it isn’t.
Performing the light test is essential to ensure the authenticity of a card. It is a simple test and requires a strong light source, such as a mobile phone light or LED flashlight, to be shone through the card.
So, how do you perform the light test?
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
Under light, Magic: The Gathering cards should let some amount of light through, but not too much.
All you need to do is look for a wave pattern with a blueish shine on the inner layer of the card. If you see this pattern, it means the card has passed the test and is valid. This test can be helpful in verifying the authenticity of a card.
The blueish shine is due to the blue core of the paper used by Cartamundi (the printing company WotC) to print the cards. Only authentic ones have a blue core, with the tiny exception of a few misprints, as some recent sets (such as Ixalan) may contain misprints on the incorrect cardstock. These misprints may not pass the light test, but this is an infrequent occurrence.
If the text is too evident to read (almost transparent without any colours), that is also a warning sign.
If no light passes through the card, then you can be certain that there is something wrong with the card.
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
The weight test is an excellent way of assessing the authenticity of a Magic card. Most Magic cards should weigh between 1.7 and 1.8 grams. Although there can be slight inconsistencies (water damage, exposure to moisture, etc. can result in variations), you would not expect the weight to be far out.
A card that is under, say, 1.5g may indicate improper stock from the printing of a counterfeit card. Or some barbaric practices like cutting the corners (this only applies to cards like collectors’ edition being cut to make look like a regular card, or a beta card being cut to look like alpha)
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
A card that weighs 2g may indicate that it is re-backed, as the weight has been added from the glue.
Re-backing a card entails taking the legitimate back of an unmarked card and attaching it to the front of a marked card. This can be used for Collector’s Edition cards or, in some cases, artist proofs (Artist Proofs are white-backed versions of Magic cards given to artists after their artwork is printed on a published Magic card.)
Artist-proof cards like this one have the correct print on the front but are only the front half of the card, without the core inside.
They are handed out to artists by WotC to thank them for their service. If you see them as cons, they aren’t real cards as they are much thinner. It’s these kinds of cards, alongside removing the front of older cards, that forgers will try and use.
The two different cards are cut down to match and then usually glued together. This process was most used with older sets, such as Alpha and Beta. These counterfeits have been around for a long time, so spotting one is easy for 3 reasons.
First, the card most likely is not consistently worn. If the front of the card is in a much better condition than the back. (e.g., near the mint front, heavily played back, or vice versa, it should raise suspicion)
Second, re-backs feel much sturdier and more rigid than non-tampered Magic cards and even struggle to pass the bend test (although we don't advise using this method as it might damage your card).
Third, re-backs can be easily spotted by inconsistencies on their edges. If you have a microscope or loupe to hand and bend a re-back, the glue holding together the edges should part a bit, and the different layers should become apparent.
Finally, as mentioned in The Light Test, the blue filament going through Magic cards should be visible if the edges are inspected closely enough.
Please note that foil cards weigh more due to the additional layers on the card stock, but as this can be anywhere between 1.8g and 2.1g, a weight test is unlikely to be helpful in helping to determine the authenticity of foil cards unless there are very significant discrepancies.
This check is based on how the colour separation was done while making the films used for printing.
Although there may be some colour variations due to changes in saturation, the pattern should always be the same. It's pretty easy to spot a genuine card, as it will have a solid green colour and only four red dots in an L shape. This “L” pattern can be found on any legitimate magic card. Look at the picture below, and you should easily see it.
This test will use the magnifying loupe; the higher the magnification, the better (mainly including a light).
Important: This test won’t work with re-backed cards as they use an authentic back.
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
(Image courtesy of detecting-the-fakes.com)
In the image below, you can find more identifiers that tell you that a card is authentic by checking the green dot with less magnification:
It is important to note that sometimes the red dots can be missing altogether inside of the yellow part, while still trying to imitate a normal card’s pattern. This is another sign that the card is fake.
The pattern of the card is also important, known as Rosette’s pattern. Without going into too much detail as to how the pattern works and the various differences, authentic cards are printed with a specific pattern, and the oracle and names text is printed over that pattern.
(Image courtesy of magicjudges.org)
Here, it’s very clear that the pattern isn’t as clean, and the text isn’t solid.
There are many more variations of the pattern, as they have changed throughout the sets. So, if you’re not 100% sure after all of the advised tests, please contact any of our members in the Discord community for feedback or contact us directly through our help portal, and we’d be delighted to help you further.
The black light test is one of the best tests for testing the authenticity of Magic cards. The only problem is that it requires two things.
First, access to black light (or ultraviolet light), but when you want to check large batches quickly and efficiently, this is the way. There is a reason why cashiers in a shop or bank will use ultraviolet light to check high-value notes for authenticity.
Second, when testing with a black light, you must also have a sample of the same exact expansion and set. Each set has different nuances in luminescence, so it's always necessary to compare against the same set and the same printing factory (EU, USA, JP).
That’s why, between having to get the black light and the sample, we don’t expect users to generally test this way.
(Image courtesy of magicjudges.org)
When exposed under a black light, Magic cards turn luminescent as part of the property of the cardstock they are printed on. Most fakes will stand out when compared to real Magic cards as they will not. Recent batches of fakes may hold up better during this test, but unless they share the same stock as Wizards of the Coast-produced cards, they should still stand out by comparison.
Black lights can be found online relatively cheaply, so if you are buying and selling extensive collections, it is certainly something worth considering.
Lastly, there are a few more tests out there that we do not advise you to do that will likely damage or decrease the value of the card you have. These include:
We do not condone nor advise users to try any of these tests at all and will not be responsible for misuse and damage to your products.
(See the transparency of the pack, as it can allow you to see what’s inside with the right light and movement of the cards)
Very old booster pack packaging is made by a method called wax-pack. This packaging made it possible to check the contents with a bit of finicking, as seen in the picture on the left. (Yes, the pack is not mtg, but we hope you get the idea 😊)
Luckily for us, WOTC realised this problem and changed the packaging to what it is nowadays. This change came into effect in 1995 (4th edition core set, while the first expansion set using this method was Chronicles), so we don’t have to worry about that. Keep in mind that if you buy packs before that, there is a high chance of the packs being searched if you see marks on the top of the packaging.
The idea of box mapping comes from the way magic cards are printed and sorted by machines. Machines use algorithms and pre-set details. This is what the box mappers claim to learn, and with that knowledge, they can tell what the rare is in the given booster pack. Since the first Theros Block, WOTC tightened up the print runs, but you must keep the possibility in mind when buying packs from before that (2013). Since 2013, the algorithm has been almost unknowable, even if you have a printed sheet of all of the cards in the print run.
This means that someone could have purchased an unlimited box, managed to map which packs contained the most valuable cards and then sold off the ones that didn’t have any.
The same can be said about those who already opened the best cards in a box and knew that the likelihood of opening others was 0 due to the mapping of the printing sheet.
According to some more passionate members of the community, these are the most heinous acts one can commit against fellow magic players.
What this means: knave opens a sealed product, takes out everything of worth and/or use and substitutes them with hot garbage (some even don’t bother with putting a rare in the pack; low-effort scammers are the worst, right?) This can happen to any pack, but most people will go for older (high-value) targets, partly because they can resell the older packs for a higher price.
Most repacks are very easy to tell, as in the case of the above photo. Even with older packs, the type of glue used wouldn’t be as clean and would leave a thicker residue.
It is important to note that some transparent WotC wrappings will look fake, depending on the expansion, product and place of printing. When in doubt, contact us or the community and we’ll help you figure it out. But 99.9% of repack times, it’s super obvious.
If you got this far, congratulations.
We hope to have conveyed some of the tests and warning signs for identifying Magic products. The main takeaway of this article is that the best way to spot foul play is experience: knowing what to look for and where to spot a fake is a good set of skills to develop if investing in Magic or even to help us look out for each other as members of the Magic community. Without other players, there is no Gathering in the Magic.
Spotting fakes is, to some extent a subjective process and so building confidence in handling cards is vital if you wish to spot fakes by yourself. This is important since we are dealing online, but it can be used in real life, too.
