Many experts online have shared detailed guides on how to identify genuine Pokémon cards. However, they often overlook anti-counterfeit labels or official verification methods. It seems that Pokémon could do more to protect its consumers.
Nevertheless, Pokémon does have official authorized labels, though they haven't provided detailed instructions on how to verify their authenticity. As an expert in anti-counterfeit printing, I’m here to help you with a simple guide on how to recognize genuine authorized labels! Whether you're buying in bulk or as an individual consumer, make sure to carefully examine the labels to protect your rights.
Products from major brands typically come with a variety of authorized labels, which can be complex and diverse. Therefore, if the authorized label you see differs from the ones described in this article, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s counterfeit. I suggest you observe other factors like significantly lower prices compared to similar products, unclear product information, mixed languages, etc. If you’re still suspicious, you can report it to Pokémon customer service for confirmation.
This article is a personal research publication and does not represent the views of the brand or Pokémon official. All regulations should be based on official public statements, or you can consult the Pokémon official website:
Pokémon Taiwan Official Website: https://tw.portal-pokemon.com/
Pokémon Hologram Security Label Identification
Due to the technological barriers of hologram labels, over the decades, the notion that "hologram label = authorized product" still generally holds true. With advances in hologram technology and combined anti-counterfeit printing, the threshold has become even higher. So, if you see an official hologram label, it's likely authentic. However, if you have no idea what the official label looks like, you might mistake any shiny sticker for the real thing and end up a victim of counterfeiting! It's essential to familiarize yourself with the appearance of official authorized labels.
From a security standpoint, this hologram label might be a bit simplistic, but like Pikachu, though small, it’s fully equipped. On the surface, it looks like a silver sticker with white printing, but it's actually a genuine hologram label made with a "metallic" holographic effect. Here’s a simple way to identify it:
Rotate the label, and the Pokémon logo should shift from silver to black, and the background from black to silver.
This kind of shift in brightness and darkness with rotation can only be achieved by hologram lasers. OVI(optically variable ink) has a similar effect, but the differences are clear. OVI typically shifts between two colors and struggles to achieve the bright metallic color changing to black, let alone the interaction between the background and the logo.
Under a microscope, you can clearly see that the text and images on the label are made with holographic diffraction gratings, not printed dots. This serves as a secondary verification, though it might be challenging for the average person to distinguish the difference.
Counterfeit Report: Serial Number = ID Number
Each label has a unique serial number, similar to an ID number, with each product having a different number. If you suspect a product might be counterfeit, you can contact official customer service. They might ask you to send the product and the label back for verification. Typically, they’ll be happy to assist you, as customer satisfaction comes first!
The above identification steps are straightforward and easy to follow. Whether buying or selling products, always make sure to check carefully to protect your rights. However, not all authorized products may have a hologram label. Some might just use a colorful label due to low pricing (e.g., tissue paper) or other considerations, but for products that cost less than ten dollars, there's usually no need to worry too much about counterfeits!
Pokémon TCG Cards Authenticity Verification
Pokémon cards are a heavily counterfeited product, despite their relatively low price. Due to the card-drawing sales mechanism, while individual cards might not be expensive, specific rare cards can fetch a high price in the market. Let me clarify that I'm not a professional Pokémon TCG player, so I'm less familiar with player jargon or how to identify authenticity based on card types. I can only assist from a printing and anti-counterfeit perspective.
Since Pokémon cards do not have clearly defined and publicly announced anti-counterfeit mechanisms (if they do, please let me know), identifying them is more challenging. However, there are some anti-counterfeit printing techniques applied, such as holograms and invisible UV identification. Due to the low price of cards, the cost of applying anti-counterfeit labels might be too high, so the official solution seems to be increasing the printing difficulty of the cards. This not only enhances the card’s quality but also serves an anti-counterfeit purpose, which might be part of the official strategy.
To identify the authenticity of Pokémon TCG cards, I naturally needed to compare real and fake cards. Interestingly, during my search, I found that some merchants label counterfeit versions as "Baby Entertainment Edition," clearly stating that they’re not official and cannot be used in tournaments. Aside from finding the term "Baby Entertainment Edition" hilariously funny, I have to say that Taiwanese merchants are surprisingly honest (or law-abiding?).
No Fluorescent Paper
Most white cards contain fluorescent agents, but the genuine product does not react under UV light, possibly due to the use of special unbleached paper. Therefore, under a UV light (365nm), the genuine product does not show blue-purple fluorescence.
100% Original Color Printing on Fine Text
The genuine product’s text is printed with 100% original black ink. When scanned, the counterfeit version appears noticeably blurry. Under a magnifying glass, you can see the text has been dotted, which is a common flaw in scanned reproductions, especially with smaller text.
Hologram – Diagonal Light Strips
The genuine product has diagonal laser light strips. When you rotate the holographic card, the laser pattern flows at about a 45-degree angle, revealing a bright rainbow effect. The counterfeit product has a full rainbow effect with additional printed colors, making it darker and lacking the flowing light changes.
A uniform rainbow effect without flowing light changes is usually referred to in the industry as a "plain hologram." Although it has some anti-counterfeit properties, it’s relatively easy to obtain, making the diagonal light strips flowing hologram cards significantly harder to counterfeit. The flowing light effect also gives the card a more stunning appearance.
Hologram – Striped Light Strips
The genuine product has striped hologram light strips, where rotating the card causes the light to flow side to side, revealing a bright rainbow effect. Upon closer inspection, you can also notice fine stripes shimmering, which is a rare combination of both fine stripes and flowing light strips.
The counterfeit version is just a silver card with rainbow and light strips printed, making it darker and lacking the flowing light changes. The previous Mawile(大嘴娃) card also used printed rainbow effects to mimic the hologram, but the base material was a plain hologram, which showed more effort compared to the silver card used for Wailord(吼鯨王).
Pokémon Custom Transparent Hologram
"Eliminate Odor"(消除香水) is the highest anti-counterfeit card I have. While other hologram effects are also exquisite, they don’t include Pokémon's brand identity, which might suggest they’re generic (usable by other brands) and not easy for consumers to identify. The "Eliminate Odor"(消除香水) card, however, combines the Poké Ball image, indicating a custom production that is very easy to recognize.
Additionally, while other holographic cards are printed on silver holographic foil, this card's holographic film is applied over the print and made transparent. This process is more complex and unique.
Typos
Many Taiwanese people identify authenticity by distinguishing between traditional and simplified characters, but it's not difficult for Chinese manufacturers to produce traditional characters if they want to sell in Taiwan and Hong Kong. During the verification process, I happened to spot a typo, where "deck" was misspelled as "pork chop," which was both frustrating and amusing.(The Chinese terms "deck牌庫" and "pork chop排骨" have similar pronunciations.)
This article is a personal research publication and does not represent the views of the brand or Pokémon official. All regulations should be based on official public statements, or you can consult the Pokémon official website:
Pokémon Taiwan Official Website: https://tw.portal-pokemon.com/
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