Knowledgebase: Learn About Collectibles, Trading Cards, Sports Cards and More
Is My Pokemon Card or Magic: The Gathering Card Real or Fake?: A Step-by-Step Illustrated Guide to Identifying Authentic vs. Fake aka Counterfeit Trading Cards for Popular TCGs
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:
The difference between fake and real cards for both of these TCGs
Specific characteristics of real and fake cards to look for, including up-close high-resolution photos of these features
Inexpensive tools like jeweler’s loupes that you can buy to help you discern real cards from fake cards
Where to purchase Pokemon, Magic, and other TCG cards to make sure you’re buying real cards
The Most Valuable Pokemon Cards from the Late 1990s and Early 2000s: Pikachu, Charizard, Lugia and More
The late 1990s and early 2000s marked the beginning of the Pokémon trading card game phenomenon, introducing some of the most valuable and sought-after cards in the hobby’s history.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards from the late 1990s and early 2000s, including well-known characters like Pikachu, Charizard, Lugia, and more!
Most Expensive Pokemon Cards from the English Black Bolt and White Flare Pokemon Sets: August 2025 Update
If you’ve been following recent releases in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) universe, then you’ve probably heard of the Black Bolt and White Flare sets, which both launched on July 18, 2025.
These are the first “dual sets“ to appear in English, which means that they have two separate groups of cards, numbered to 172 in Black Bolt and to 173 in White Flare.
Much like the Prismatic Evolutions set that came out on January 17, 2025, the Black Bolt and White flare sets also have “God Packs“, which are packs that contain all full art cards.
These God Packs are totally epic and have been taking over social media videos recently, but they’re also exceedingly rare, as estimates put them at 1 in 800 or 1,000 packs!
Let’s take a closer look at the Black Bolt and White Flare Pokemon TCG sets, including the top 5 most expensive cards in each set as of August, 2025 in PSA 10 grades, as well as our predictions about future price changes and a preview of the next Mega Evolution set that drops in late September, 2025!
How Much Are My Pokemon Cards Worth?: A Guide to Pricing and Selling Pokemon Cards
So you found an old box of Pokémon cards in your attic or basement…score!
But what should you do next?
A recent article from Fortune showed that the average price increase in Pokémon and sports cards has outpaced the stock market, with recent annual growth of 46%!
In this helpful guide by our collectibles experts at Collectiwiz, we’ll break down the basics of how to understand (1) how much your Pokémon cards are worth, (2) the ways that condition impacts price, and (3) how to sell your Pokémon cards to get the best value.