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Author
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Topic: Warning: fakes
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Arun
Member
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posted July 17, 1999 01:23 PM
 
I have seen many people complain about getting fake cards. I recently realized one of the cards I had(BE Psionic Blast) was a fake. However, it was the best fake I have ever seen. It is almost impossible to tell that it is fake. If you suspect that one of your cards is fake, go to www.thegoodson.com/fakes.htm or to www.praetor.com/gab Both of these sites have information on spotting fake cards. My fake was very very convincing. When compared to a real card it is virtually identical. The only difference I could see was that the printing seemed somewhat different. Also, on the back the dots seemed to be somewhat coarser than a real card. It even was very convincing on the bend test. When I bent it the first time nothing appeared to happen. Only later did I view the crease that it had left where I had bent it. I bent it the opposite way and it creased completely! So be very careful when trading for older, expensive cards. People are becoming better and better at making fake cards and some of these fakes are virtually impossible to tell from reals.
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Archangel
New Member
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posted July 21, 1999 10:49 PM
One of the best ways to prevent this is to avoid trading for cards that are in Mint condition as far as older stuff. Seriously, how many people do you think have a Mint Alpha Black Lotus? None. I've seen at least 20 of them and Good condition is the best I've seen. There are some Mint Unlimited cards, but still not many. I'm one of the lucky people who owns one, my Mox Ruby. It passes every test I've come up with, and I've been in Magic a long time in a highly computer oriented area. One of my friends makes near perfect proxies of some of the better cards for use in fun decks. The typical fake cards you're going to see is a scanned image on a high quality scanner printed out on a high quality color laser printer. It's a far from easy proposition for your average Magic player, so you aren't going to see very many regardless. They then will cut very carefully around the outline and use a thin coat of rubber cement to attach the card to the face of a land. Some extremely devious people will also basically sand off the original card top, leaving a pure white surface and getting a thinner card so that it is almost impossible to spot a difference in thickness. Most people don't though, because it can leave rough edges that make the scanned image come off more easily. Some people are careful enough to do it though. For this level, here's your test. Wash your hands thoroughly, to get the oil off of them. Then, spend 5 minutes lightly pushing up from the back, just rubbing your hand against the side of the card. Be careful, if you rub too hard, you'll damage the card. After you've done this, closely look at the area you rubbed. If it's raised at all, you've got a fake. With this, you should immediately turn the person in as a bad trader, even if they make reparations. They're just going to do it again. If it's still good, go to the second test. It's basically the same, but rub at the border of the picture instead of the edge. This is your less detailed fake card. Sometimes, people will just cut out the card and leave the border of the card they're attaching it to as is. It should take no time at all to determine if this type is a fake, because you'll feel the edge of the paper. There is one final way to fake a card. This is the hardest way, and impossible to do anything about. If someone can afford the hardware, people can buy card stock, print the Magic card logo on one side, the Magic card on the other and then cut it with the same cutter used to make Magic cards, Star Wars cards, and everything else related to CCG's. Of course, the thing is, if it's a fake this way, then it doesn't matter. It might as well be the real deal, as nobody will ever notice the difference anyway.------------------
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º-Archangel-º
Vice-Admiral Shadowrunner
GAB Purple Team
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BryceLindsay
unregistered
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posted July 22, 1999 11:17 PM
With the Kind of Printers people have now days, it is getting very tough to tell if a card is fake. People can buy the exact same card stock type paper that Wizards uses to make the cards. Me and my cousin tested this to see if people could tell the difference. We scanned a Yagmoth's Bargain into my computer, put it on a disk, took it to my grandfathers, and printed it out on card type paper with his new color printer. We took it down to the card shop we hang out at and let everyone see it, and nobody could tell the difference. And basically the only way you Could tell the difference was with a microscope. The ink didnt go on the exact same way as a real card did. So everyone be carefull. It was really easy to do, so examine every card you get very closely.
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Dannibal
Moderator
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posted July 27, 1999 01:02 AM
One thing is for sure: the bend test doesn't work anymore. But you can check out the printing - provided the light in the card store or trading area is good... Magic cards are printed in so-called 'roset' printing, at least that is what they call it over here in Belgium (origin of most Magic cards). My grandfather and brother are both in the printing business, so that is why I know. No printer whatsoever can copy this kind of printing and WOTC has the patent. Just take a looking glass and examine the printing pattern: it should be all tiny circles going over in each other, like a ring mail or something. Prints or copies will be smoother or rougher. Blue will be more difficult to see. Best try out with an artifact you draw from a booster. Those are the best to learn. Once your eyes are adjusted to it, you will even be able to see so with your 'bare' eyes. It's like those 3D pictures - either you see it, either you don't. I wouldn't suggest rubbing cards: if everyone starts doing so, your cards will be ruined within a month or so. LOOK AND LEARN!
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Leshrac
Administrator
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posted July 28, 1999 03:44 PM
Here's a very informative site regarding fakes: http://www.rit.edu/~tpw4968/mtg/fake/index.html I hope this is of some help to everyone. ------------------
Leshrac
leshrac@ecis.com
Founder, Owner - Magic Online Trading League (MOTL)
http://www.ecis.com/~leshrac
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