Most of us don't think of it too much, but counterfeit cards are
slowly showing up more and more. What's even worse is that it's
getting harder and harder to tell what cards are counterfeit. If you
have a Neo Set card, hold it to a light. Can you see through the back
of it? Unfortunately, most of us can. I learned this when I noticed I
could see through the back of a Rare Nyuura card I own. I was worried
until my brother showed me a card of his. Same result, but we got our
cards at different locations. Plus, the card wasn't flimsy or faded.
My point is that even the Japanese sets are becoming a bit too
relaxed on their counterfeit-proof cards. If Wizards of the Coast
starts to follow their footsteps, many counterfeiters will jump at
the thought because their cards will slowly look more like the real
thing, while the actual cards start looking worse and worse.

  Another problem is that the counterfeit cards are showing up
almost everywhere except for a few specialized stores that care if
their cards are real. Example: I went to Funcoland. Yes, the place
with the wide variety of video games. I saw a booster of Gym for $10.
The pack looked normal. There were no fine points that would make it
look counterfeit. I was already 5 miles away from the store, heading
for a local tourney when I opened my pack. There they were. Flimsy,
badly blurred, and transparent counterfeit cards. As you can tell,
even some of the nationwide chains are selling counterfeits now. This
will make it harder to find actual cards without having to worry
about them being fake. In fact, the few places I can go is to my
local Babbages and a couple of specialized dealers.

  Basically, this is a word of warning to collectors both new and
old- WATCH OUT FOR FAKES. Not only to the cost the buyer money, but
they are illegal for the most part. So, look for the following signs
to see if a card is fake:

- You can see the picture through the back
- The picture or writing seems blurred
- On foils, the cards seem to have sparkles all over, but they don't
really shine like the real ones do.
- The border is off-center or the picture seems crooked

  Finally, use some common sense. If you find that a dealer is
selling counterfeits, report it to someone. Tell the police or the
card company. Maybe the dealer doesn't know they're fake. Tell them,
too. Counterfeit cards are increasingly popular in the second-hand
market. Don't be fooled by the imitations.

Wes Smith
axel_hedgehog@knothole.zzn.com