Some more ways of telling if expensive cards are real

[Tha Gunslinga]

But since the PSA process makes the card unplayable, it's useless for most people, not to mention the fact that PSAing a card is stupid unless you can guarantee a 9 or 10.  Even then it can be stupid.

[CrashTest]

I think you can get a card DNA authenticated without grading it, so it isn't slabbed and is still playable.

       So that way all you are doing is getting that service done, no need to worry about grading.

       

[Tha Gunslinga]

This DNA BS only shows up under a freaking LASER, though; hardly a practical method of authentication.

[pyr0ma5ta]

What the heck is DNA authentication?

[CrashTest]

After verifying a card is real, PSA puts a little invisible strand on the card. This can be checked with a special laser, and then can be used to verify that the card has been previously verified by the PSA. This strand or mark cannot be seen normally, but only with a special laser.

[Tha Gunslinga]

So it's 100% useless unless you feel like carting a laser to tournies.

[CrashTest]

I don't know about you, but I cart a laser to every tourney. Well, that's not entirely true. I don't bring them to most Pokemon tournies.

[absolute]

I would like to know if the 'dark beta' Sapphire has this mark. if anyone has one, could you enlighten me? If you are wondering what 'dark beta' is...

I checked a 'dark beta' Sapphire, and there is no such marking on the card. Hopefully it's of some use down the road...

one time a guy walked into the printing factory and printed himself some rare sheets. Some people say he did more than just rares, and some say more than just beta, but what matters is - these cards are very hard to spot as fakes using any of the tests. They do not pass the natural vision test though - they have distintly different inking patterns.

Also, there is more than 'beta dark' power, certainly he must have printed off later versions of power (both UL and B) from what I've seen. Luckily, if you have spare power to do a comparison, like mike stated, you can see the printing is not only slightly darker, but the pictures themselves seem to be offset slightly.

[buffness4]

I would also like to point out that Alpha Taigas(the ones I own and have seen) have a little red and green splotch about half an inch to the right from where it says "Land."  Can anybody else vouch for this? 

[CrashTest]

Yep, I've seen that mark on more than 1 Alpha Taiga as well. I cannot recall seeing it on Beta Taigas, just Alpha.

[dandan]

http://www.tatranka.sk/cards.html

Look out for a new type of fake card. It surfaced at my recent birthday party (actually it's on the 14th but Nicholas was 1 on 1 Feb so we had a joint party (not that sort of joint)). Apart from the large size and cake like material you can also see a brown border and deckmaster is spelt slightly differently on genuine Magic cards.

To be on the safe side, we have eaten most of it although I still have some in the fridge if anyone is passing through mengusovce, Slovakia later today.

[Bram]

Apart from the large size and cake like material you can also see a brown border and deckmaster is spelt slightly differently on genuine Magic cards.

LOL. Dandan firmly establishes himself once again as TMD's best poster That is, by the way, the most awesome (f)(c)ake I have ever seen.

[ctthespian]

However if you look at the scan of yours, it seems to have it too, just nowhere near as bad.

(Compare the 2 pictures right above to the right of "artifact")... you'll see the blemish very lightly on yours... I could pick it out right away, but had to compare to see if it was in the right spot.

Hmmm. Yeah, looks like you're right. I got a bit worried there that it was retouched or something, but I inspected it with a magnifying glass, and it's just a barely noticable version of the mark you guys have, too. Weird.

My Alpha Sapphire also has the mark.