As collectors and players of both the Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering trading card games (TCGs) since the late 1990s, we’ve seen all kinds of cards here at Collectiwiz, ranging in value from a few cents to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And we’ve received all sorts of questions about topics like appraisal of single cards or huge collections, the most valuable Pokemon cards from the early years, metal trading cards, and most commonly, whether Pokemon or Magic: The Gathering cards are real (aka authentic) or fake (aka counterfeit).

So, we decided to write this Knowledgebase article with an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide to spotting fake cards with pictures of actual Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards, covering:

1. The difference between fake and real cards for both of these TCGs

2. Specific characteristics of real and fake cards to look for, including up-close high-resolution photos of these features

3. Inexpensive tools like jeweler’s loupes that you can buy to help you discern real cards from fake cards

4. Where to purchase Pokemon, Magic, and other TCG cards to make sure you’re buying real cards