How can I be sure when purchasing cards from Ebay that they are not fakes?

General Question
1

As everybody knows, fakes run rampant these days and even though I’m not collecting anything astronomically expensive, how can I make sure that I don’t receive a fake one? I mainly ask because now that I have a lot of common cards, I’m moving into purchasing holos. Holos seem to be the ones a lot of scammers make fakes of.

I totally understand that $20 isn’t insanely priced compared to some cards out there, and it may deter a scammer from taking their time to replicate such a “cheap” card, but I have seen entire fake packs before on youtube so it makes me sometimes worry.

Are reviews of stores good enough? Is there a literal reference book out there I can compare? Or am I completely overreacting over nothing lol? I have never bought a fake card (that I know of) so not sure how to confirm the pictures online are real cards.

Sorry if this question is something stupid-I’m pretty new to this hobby.

2

eBay has authenticity guarantee

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You have ebay guarantee so if a seller sends a fake card or the wrong card, you can get a refund. As far as “how I know if my card is fake or real” I am sure others will share tips below

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4

If its wotc vintage, feel free to message me. I’d be more than willing to assist.

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And he will tell you where it was printed and on what day :wink:

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You’re probably overreacting. Basic due diligence is often more than enough to ensure that you’re purchasing authentic items. Some of these steps include:

  • Learn about fake Pokemon cards. They often feature differences in font, holo pattern, in-hand feel, and other giveaways that mean you can often distinguish a fake from a real card just based on one picture if you know what you’re looking for.
  • Research the market value of the card you’re buying (TCGPlayer, PriceCharting are good tools to give you an approximate idea). If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Read the description. Does the seller mention “proxy,” “fan made” or anything that clearly indicates it is not authentic?
  • Is the seller reputable? Is their feedback strong? Have they been selling Pokemon cards for a long period of time? If so, you’re in the clear.
  • Is the card worth faking? Most fakes are only of expensive, popular cards. The likelihood of a $20 card being faked is quite low.

Last but not least, eBay has incredibly strong buyer protection. In the highly unlikely event that you get sent a faked card, you can get a refund easily.

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You can just post the links here and people can help!

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Thanks everybody! And i’ll totally shoot @Nightvulture a question if I have weird suspicions of any vintage!

I’ve seen things I like on Mercari too but Ebay is my go-to :smiley:

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When it comes to the recent 1st edition fakes that have hit the market, they are all black core and relatively convincing. I wouldn’t trust buying some of that stuff off of eBay anymore. Just be careful.

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I will definitely keep that in mind, considering I still need a few more 1st edition Oddishes. Thank you!

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if all you’re looking for is oddish, you probably won’t have any issues

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