How to Spot Magic Fakes
If you are looking to buy cards for your deck it is important that you do not purchase counterfeits. Not only are they bad for the integrity of Magic and potentially dangerous, but they also can have a significant impact on the value of the card. Counterfeiters produce fakes for several reasons, some do it to rip off a player in the local scene and others do it to flood the secondary market with cheap versions of popular cards.
What percentage of people get a fake ID?
The best way to spot a Magic fakes is by looking at the back of the card, and specifically the green section. This should have a pattern of 4 dots aligned in an L shape. Fake Magic cards will have no dots or many dots and they also often have less pronounced green sections. Another easy test is the bend test. Bend the card a few times between your fingers and thumb, real Magic cards will not show any visible cracks or creases. Fake cards will quickly begin to show visible creases and eventually will fail the test completely after a few more folds.
Some people have been DQed from events for playing with counterfeit cards. However, this is not a risk worth taking, especially if you are trying to build a top notch deck for the upcoming season. A good set of eyes and some practice should have you spotting fakes fairly easily. There are some other tests that you can use, some require specialist equipment which is difficult to employ at a local event and other tests require a loupe to be effective.