Spotting Fakes

[DrunkenFrog]

Hello,
I recently started actively collecting card decks and have become quite fond of Theory11. I first purchased some Monarchs and was very pleased so I went on to purchase 2 decks of Medallions from ebay so that I can keep one sealed and use one. When they arrived they had different seals. I only just discovered that fake cards is a thing and I'm concerned about whether or not one or both of the decks I received could be fake. Is there a way I can determine without opening the packs if this is the case?

 

[Lyle Borders]

Post photos! We can take a look and let you know if anything looks out of the ordinary.

// L

 

[DrunkenFrog]

http://imgur.com/a/uSZlL

 

[DrunkenFrog]

anything look out of the ordinary? I notice they were produced in different years. could that account for the differences in the plastic?

 

[Lyle Borders]

anything look out of the ordinary? I notice they were produced in different years. could that account for the differences in the plastic?

I see nothing out of the ordinary. These simply came from different printings, so there are small differences like the color of tearstrip in the cellophane.

Fake playing cards aren't frequently a problem. They only are a real concern when talking about highly sought after and rare decks. Decks that are easily available like the Medallions don't often have any sort of problems with fake versions.

// L

 

[Magic Orthodoxy]

I've only heard about counterfeit Bicycle brand cards in other countries, the collector's market is too small that someone would go out of their way to make counterfeit cards from T11 and these exclusive designer houses. I'd be super surprised if your decks were fake.

 

[AlexanderP1]

They've changed the design from time to time on Medallions, so you might end up with something you think is fake but was just altered. Check out the pictures in this link for example: https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads/theory11-why-must-you-hurt-me-in-this-way.39490/

 

[ifanoctopuscouldpalm]

I wouldn't worry too much about many decks being counterfeit. The only ones you really need to look out for are Jerry's Nugget playing cards, which will run you about $500 a deck. However, once a year, you can buy genuine Jerry's Nugget playing cards from Lee Asher.

http://www.leeasher.com/playing_cards/jerrys_nugget/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry's_Nugget_playing_cards