Tips for spotting fake Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards

With Yu-Gi-Oh being one of the most popular trading card games in the world, there's obviously a lot of money to be made for counterfeiters. Many companies do their best to replicate counterfeit trading cards to make a quick buck. In the long run, counterfeit Yu-Gi-Oh cards do far more damage to the TCG (Trading Card Game) community than you might think. Fake Yu-Gi-Oh cards are often used to scam people into illegally taking money or real cards. Now that you know how much of a problem fake Yu-Gi-Oh cards are in the community, the best thing you can do to prevent yourself from falling victim to a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card scam is to find out how to identify fake Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards. This guide will explain what you need to look for to judge a card's authenticity.

Check the text

Text font

Look at the font of the text. Whether it's an imitation or a fake Yu Gi Oh card, the latter often have a different font to the real thing. Compare all the text on the card to a real card to see if there are any differences. Often, the text on a fake card has a larger font than on a real card. For example, look at these two impressions of 'Obelisk the Tormentor' below. The legitimate version is on the right, while the counterfeit on the left has some glaring problems, such as the font for "[DIVINE-BEAST]" being much larger and bigger than that on the genuine card.

Tip: use any other authentic card to compare fonts for differences. If you don't have a card to hand, search for an authentic card online.

On the left a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card, on the right a real Yu-Gi-Oh card

Spelling mistakes

Check the effect text for spelling or grammatical errors. Fake cards are often mistranslated or misspelled. Check the text of the card's effect, or the text describing the card's abilities and uses. If you notice a misspelled word or awkward syntax, these are clear signs that the card is fake.

Also check the layout of the text on the card. If it is different from the genuine card, then the card is a counterfeit.

On the left a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card, on the right a real Yu-Gi-Oh card

The effect text

It is important to check that the effect text is correct. To do this, compare the text of the effect with an authentic version of the card to see if the text is different. Any change in the wording means that the card is a fake.

• Search the map online to see the correct text for comparison.

• If the text of the effect is in italics on the genuine card but does not appear on the card you have bought or are planning to buy, then the card is a fake.

On the left a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card, on the right a real Yu-Gi-Oh card

Check the symbols

The attribute symbol

Inspect the attribute symbol in the top right-hand corner of the card. The attribute symbol is a Japanese character which should be placed in the top right-hand corner of the card. Above the Japanese character, there should be the English translation superimposed on the symbol. If the symbol is missing, if the English translation is incorrect or if the translation is misspelled, the card is wrong.

Below is an example of the different attributes of this game, as well as the symbols on the Magic and Trap cards. In order of appearance on the image, there is LIGHT, DARK, FIRE, WATER, EARTH, WIND, DIVINE, SPELL and TRAP. Note how the English words for each attribute are superimposed on the symbols and are all in capitals.

Level stars

Check the dots at the top, right and bottom right of the level stars. Monster cards will have stars indicating the level of the card. Level cards have a yellow 5-pointed star surrounded by a red-orange circle. The dots at the top, right and bottom right of the level star must be faded or hidden against the red-orange background. If the stars are solid or different, the card is a forgery.

To do this, compare the alignment of the level stars with another authentic map.

On the left a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card, on the right a real Yu-Gi-Oh card

Rank stars

Look at the characteristics of the rank stars. Like the level star, a rank star is yellow, but this time it's on a black circle. The other difference is that a rank star has no marked dots. Rank stars are also slightly shaded, with the darkest part of the circle on the right-hand side. Rank stars should also only appear on Xyz monsters, cards with a black background, as all other monster cards will use the level star.

Check the design of the card

Rounded corners

Look for rounded corners on the map. All real Yu-Gi-Oh cards have rounded corners. All cards without rounded corners are fake, as are all cards with corners that are too rounded.

The texture

Feel the surface of the card with your finger to check the texture. The texture of the card surface should be shiny and slightly raised to reflect the characteristics of card art. Rub the surface of the card with your finger to feel its texture. Fake cards are often flat and rough.

Tip: Fake cards can look like sandpaper when you rub them.

The buffer

Inspect the foil stamp in the bottom right corner of the card. Genuine cards will have a shiny square stamp in the bottom right-hand corner of the front of the card with the words "Yu-Gi-Oh!" in a small horizontal script. Counterfeiters can forget to put the foil stamp on their fake card or the letters can be arranged vertically.

Tip: A gold foil indicates that the card is a first or limited edition. If the card is labelled or sold as a first or limited edition and has a silver stamp, it's a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card.

Secure your second-hand Yu-Gi-Oh cards with Obvy

If a card passes all of the above tests, it's probably a genuine Yu-Gi-Oh card! But be careful, this doesn't mean you shouldn't be vigilant when buying your trading card. The best way to protect yourself against buying fake Yu-Gi-Oh cards is to buy your cards using a secure payment method. Obvy, the secure payment method for private individuals and professionals, is the ideal solution for your transactions! If you decide to buy your Yu-Gi-Oh cards second-hand, which will certainly be the case if you're looking for rare collectible cards, Obvy will act as a trusted third party, allowing you to buy these cards with complete peace of mind. In fact, if the seller tries to rip you off, or if you realise on receipt of the parcel that it's a fake Yu-Gi-Oh card, all you have to do is turn around and you'll get a full refund.