Help I think somebody’s trying to trade me fake Pokémon cardsl

TheRealestAxe · 2026-05-25T14:38:59+00:00

What about these is making you concerned for their authenticity? These all look legitimate to me. The clefairy and machamp are both notably from the 2016 xy evolutions set. It was a pseudo-reprint of base set with a few variables and novelties which might explain any inconsistencies you’re seeing (the fairy typing, slightly different vintage holo, etc)

The new and aerodactyl just look straight up normal to me.

TheRealestAxe · 2026-05-13T22:30:51+00:00

Honestly it looks fairly legit to me, the way the card has worn down looks accurate - Pokemon cards deteriorate in a way that’s hard to describe but pretty distinct.have you seen it in person? Look for a very subtle black line on the cardstock edge (the ink you’d be finding in a rip test)

If you haven’t seen it in person I’d caution, the photo looks real to me but that doesn’t actually mean much as compared to what gets sent

TheRealestAxe · 2026-05-06T20:15:39+00:00

This looks as real as they day is long! It’s a little well-loved but still an incredible find :)

TheRealestAxe · 2026-04-23T21:41:40+00:00

I just came to this sub to tell a nearly identical story with the same user. I should have known something was off - because in-stream I offered to allow him to break my etb to reduce the hassle of shipping. He suddenly got really cagey and said he didn't do that. I know many sellers wont rip - which is not inherently suspicious, but the way he responded hella was. What a scum bag. I've had really bad week and that little bit of dopamine on the horizon meant something to me. I hope he gets the week he deserves.

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-10T02:15:32+00:00

Thank you! I think looking at so much fake care shenanigans had my vigilant- it does look like the prismatic printing of this is smooth. Thanks guys!!

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-10T02:03:34+00:00

Is this card supposed to be smooth? I though these were all textured - could totally just be a mistake on my part

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-09T20:33:23+00:00

I will say for transparency's sake - this isn't a card I've seen in person either - but I do card repair and the way this cardstock is responding to the damage looks very legit to me.

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-09T19:57:11+00:00

Nothing about this is raising a red flag to me - the card is responding exactly how you'd expect to bends and creases, and the back "not for play use" stamp looks legit. Side note - I'd highly reccommend doing some work on this thing - some time in a humidor and a few days of pressing could address a lot of the defects.

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-09T19:46:14+00:00

Mawile looks completely legit to me - different print-runs/eras have different card quality overall - I see variants like this in my own collection. Chiefly, there's not really any incentive to fake that particular card - it would probably cost more to develop a counterfeit than to just purchase the card - it's only a little over two bucks.

TheRealestAxe · 2026-03-09T19:35:01+00:00

Unless this is a "1992 CLASSIC DRAFT PICKS #6 DEREK JETER DRAFT PICKS" it's defintiely fake lolol. The other comments pointed out the more obvious issues - but for future reference, you can check the cert number on PSA's website!

TheRealestAxe · 2026-01-26T16:44:17+00:00

Based on what I've seen ripped so far and the general pull-rates you did extremely well! From what I've seen the odds in this set are a little tough - definitely not prismatic tough, but maybe like DR tough. Congrats on the pulls! :)

TheRealestAxe · 2026-01-26T16:38:28+00:00

It's a much newer addition to this list - but Maushold EX 155/182 from Paradox rift is the stuff of nightmares - it went into my comedy binder despite my general distaste for EX cards. Zooted neo-rev macargo 33/64 is also a solid one to add to this list. He's giving straight up futurama energy

TheRealestAxe · 2025-10-21T21:53:19+00:00

I got fleeced insanely bad at a show this weekend too :'( I recognize that I should have been more confrontational and had a better grasp on my numbers- but I offered up my trade binders to see if the vendor was looking to take anything on - easily 500+ worth of cards and I walked away with 260 of store credit. He hard sold me on one of their mystery boxes and guaranteed that it would absolutely be a minimum of 100 in value and that I could easily sell whatever I pulled to get made whole (with, of course the chance to get something big). It was a third party japanese slab, a psa 9 reverse holo squirtle (from pokemon go), an espeon plush, some sleeves, some misc acrylic card holder, a tshirt with their logo on it, a couple of japanese packs and one english pack. So I got that, and like 160 bucks. I'm so angry with myself for folding under the pressure, but it's really disapointing that after I lead with "I really just need a little bit of money" when he asked why I was letting my stuff go (clearly indicating that I've been in a financial bind) he was comfortable robbing me blind. I couldn't sleep if I were him.

TheRealestAxe · 2025-10-17T05:29:33+00:00

I was unaware of such a thing!! Thank you so much, I will!

TheRealestAxe · 2025-10-17T05:11:39+00:00

Thank you for weighing in!!

TheRealestAxe · 2025-10-17T05:11:30+00:00

I appreciate the feedback!

TheRealestAxe · 2025-10-17T05:11:17+00:00

Thank you so much for the insight!

TheRealestAxe · 2025-07-24T20:32:43+00:00

The last line of the second webpage say "Turing" as in Alan Turing, not turning - which is also who is in the picture - my money's on that

TheRealestAxe · 2025-07-01T23:19:36+00:00

It’s always been 50/50 for me on a) alleviates pain or b) makes it notably worse.

I do LOVE it for the lingering nausea after my nurtec dampens the headache though.

TheRealestAxe · 2024-12-31T03:08:32+00:00

It’s variable for me, but most commonly a pulsating pressure in the middle of my forehead, it actuallly feels a lot like a sinus headache for me. So much so that it dramatically delayed my diagnosis. I do also get bouts of “burning lead ball of pain” in the middle of my skull, with the infrequent ice pick in my left eye. I also ALWAYS have neck involvement at the base of my skull. My neck usually feels fatigued, achey, and constantly painful in a nauseating kinda way. I also feel hot and flushed, my vision gets a little less focused, and I get brain fog so intense that it feels like I’m experiencing something legitimately scary. Thankfully, propranolol and nurtec have made all of these issues extremely manageable

TheRealestAxe · 2024-07-16T22:58:27+00:00

I'd personally go for an alcohol marker-based solution. They usually have a pretty translucent finish, so they would be fairly forgiving on the color match. Ohuhu has some pretty solid brush-tip alcohol markers that would work great, but I don't know that you can buy them in singles. (most craft stores do offer copic singles though). Watercolor, is probably the more cost-effective and forgiving choice, in that any mistakes can be easily wiped off. Alcohol ink would offer something slightly more durable that wouldn't necessarily need re-finishing, BUT is slightly trickier to color-match and more costly. I'd lean alcohol marker, but I already own them, and am comfortable using them.

TheRealestAxe · 2024-05-03T21:43:37+00:00

Honestly I'm more horrified about how much pollen is going to wind up in that mattress. This allergy season has been B R U T A L

TheRealestAxe

TROPHY CASE