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Fakes spotted

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This week, redditor /u/Uthayne posted that he had bought counterfeit Scalding Tarns on TCG Player. The evidence is conclusive.

Be careful when ordering online. If your card is worth more than about $30, make sure you test the card to make sure it's genuine. The light test is a very good quick and dirty test to see if a card is genuine.

However, not to worry. The fakes are not getting that much better. This card apparently felt much different and the typeface looked off.

If you do buy a fake card on TCG Player, contact them and they will investigate. If the seller is knowingly selling fakes, they will be dealt with.

It's impossible to really examine a card you buy online, so understand there are risks. If you're a seller, make sure the cards you send out are genuine by doing these tests yourself. We've seen cards as cheap as Hallowed Fountain faked, but if you send out a fake Tarn and you're on the hook for a refund and you're out the card, you could have a bad day. Protect yourself as a seller and as a buyer.

Fakes are still very easy to detect and this should not make you panic. Just know that this is a thing that happens and that the light from your smartphone is one of the best tools you have to detect this rash of counterfeit cards. Protect ya neck and buy in person where possible.

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Jason Alt

Jason Alt is a value trader and writer. He is Quiet Speculation's self-appointed web content archivist and co-captain of the interdepartmental dodgeball team. He enjoys craft microbrews and doing things ironically. You may have seen him at magic events; he wears black t-shirts and has a beard and a backpack so he's pretty easy to spot. You can hear him as co-host on the Brainstorm Brewery podcast or catch his articles on Gatheringmagic.com. He is also the Community Manager at BrainstormBrewery.com and writes the odd article there, too. Follow him on Twitter @JasonEAlt unless you don't like having your mind blown.

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4 thoughts on “Fakes spotted

    1. @ Uhoh, if you take a look at the 2nd picture you should be able to tell the color difference between the reds in the left and right card. The right card is more orange and is the fake. In the 3rd picture looking at the middle boarder around the card type you can see the white dots left by an inkjet printer since the scanning software leaves gaps.

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