How to tell if a numbered parallel is real

The more a card is worth, the more reason someone has to fake it. Low-numbered parallels get faked in a few common ways: a base card or cheaper parallel restamped with a new serial number, a recolored or altered card, or a real card listed as something it isn't. None of the checks below needs special tools.

1. Check the checklist first

Before you look at the card, confirm the card exists. Does this set have that parallel for that player, at that print run? A "Gold /10" in a set whose gold parallel is /50 is the easiest fake to catch, and it shows up more than you'd think. The maker's official checklist is the source to trust.

2. Look hard at the serial number

• Compare the font, size, color and position with other cards from the same set and parallel.
• Look for digits that are smudged, uneven or out of line with each other.
• Check that the print run matches the checklist: a /25 card stamped /20 is wrong, full stop.

3. Turn it over

Fakers spend their effort on the front. The back is where a reprint or a restamped base card often gives itself away: card number, copyright line, code at the bottom, finish. Never buy a numbered card from front photos only.

4. Check the finish under light

Refractor and prizm finishes have a pattern that changes as you tilt the card. Ask for a short video if you can't see it in person. A flat or muddy shine on a card that should flash is a warning sign.

5. See if the copy has already surfaced

For a 1/1 there's only one copy, so if it has sold before, the photos of that sale should match the card in front of you, down to the centering and any corner wear. For a /5 or /10, check whether the same serial number has already turned up somewhere else. Two different cards stamped 3/5 means one of them is wrong.

That's the reason we keep front and back photos of every copy we find: so you can line a card up against the copies already known.

6. When in doubt, buy it graded

A card graded by a major grading company has been checked by someone who sees thousands of them, and the slab makes later swaps harder. It costs more, but on a big purchase it's cheap insurance. Still check the slab itself: look up the certification number on the grader's own site.