Can someone help me tell if this card is fake?
General forum
Posted on April 4, 2018, 10:49 a.m. by ToolmasterOfBrainerd
EDIT: ASSISTANCE NO LONGER NECESSARY
If there's a better forum for this someone please go ahead and move it.
I'm looking at buying a Tundra and I want to know if the card is real. The seller has stated that someone told them it was a proxy, which is why I'm going through the effort. From the pictures I'm looking at, the only difference between it and a real copy that I can see is that 'Tundra' at the top and 'Land' on the center bar are shifted down a little bit. The image isn't quite high enough quality to see details of the printing pattern. Does anyone know if the name can be shifted like that just from alignment problems in the print run?
Otherwise, I see nothing indicating this isn't a real card.
Here are the images I have:
Without it in hand it is hard to tell. There were different printing facilities with different print runs. I have seen cards that look "off" or even felt "different" that I had my lgs owner look at. He took them through some tests, and all passed.
Here are some tests (not all recommended to be used by novices). A light test to see how much light can penetrate the card. Black light on front and back compared to a real card from same set(or approx same age). A jeweler's loupe to see the printing dots as wizards uses different dot pattern. Bend test to see if correct card stock (has a risk of damage even if real), and rip test to see if has blue strip inside (do not recommend as this will destroy the card).
High quality proxies of duals are out there. Some can pass some of the tests. Usually wont pass jeweler's loupe. Have seen some but light test or black light tests fail. As its not cheap getting correct stock, ink, and printing process.
April 4, 2018 11:27 a.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #4
Doesn't matter now. It was an ebay listing and someone else bought it. But the original listing was kinda curious - person claiming very little card knowledge, but that someone had told them it was a proxy, so they were selling it as such. The listed images didn't have any immediate signs that made the card look fake, so I posted here.
April 4, 2018 3:01 p.m.
Print pattern and border are usually the best indicators of authenticity if all other aspects seem plausible. A scan of the front and back at 600dpi or more will almost always confirm if the card is authentic. I can email examples of the real thing later tonight if youd like, just enable chat and provide your email and Ill send.
April 4, 2018 3:37 p.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #6
For what it's worth, it was also listed as buy it now for $20, so they believed it was a proxy. Anyway, thank you for the detailed response on why it looks fake to you. That kind of analysis is helpful. Some of those problems could be due to the camera not being still when the seller took the picture (such as the lack of pattern on the back), however I still think you're right.
As for the 9111 mark, that's the artist's signature. I only know because I met that artist at GP Minneapolis a few years ago. I didn't own any of his cards, but then he told me he was the artist that designed the back of magic cards, so that his art was on every card. So I slid him a facedown Storm Crow for him to sign, and the '9111' signature is how he signed it. That Storm Crow will forever be in my commander deck.
Argy says... #2
I have no idea why someone would claim that a real card is a proxy.
They would be cheating her/himself out of cash.
April 4, 2018 11:25 a.m.