How to Tell If Your Base Set Charizard Card is Real or Fake

The base set Charizard card from 1999 is arguably the most iconic and sought-after Pokémon card of all time. But its immense popularity and value that can reach into the hundreds of thousands has also made it a prime target for counterfeiters trying to dupe collectors. So how do you know if your base set Charizard is the real McCoy? This comprehensive guide will go through all the steps and techniques professional graders use to authenticate these extremely rare cards.

Examining Printing Quality

The first steps in identifying a fake involve some close visual inspection of the card‘s colors, text, and surface.

• Colors – Genuine base Charizard cards have bright, saturated colors that really pop. The orange on Charizard‘s skin in particular has an almost neon vibrancy. Fakes will often look faded and washed out in comparison.

• Text – Under magnification, look closely at the text for the Pokémon name, card title, stats, and Pokédex entry. The real McCoy will have sharp, crisp letters, while counterfeits tend to have thicker, more pixelated fonts. The spacing between letters can also be a tell, as fakes often have uneven kerning.

• Holofoil surface – Run your fingernail gently across the holofoil area. It should be perfectly smooth on an authentic card. Fakes tend to have a gritty, sticky texture from low quality printing methods.

• Borders – Check that the edges are cleanly cut with no fraying or jaggedness. Fake cards often have fuzzy borders and misaligned layers.

• Dots – Examine the surface under bright light for small black ink dots, which are a clear sign of dirty printing presses. Legit cards have flawless printing.

These printing flaws are very difficult to replicate for counterfeit producers, so if your card passes this visual inspection, that‘s a great first sign it may be legitimate. But we‘ll need to dig deeper to be sure…

Verifying Text Details

Now it‘s time to pull out the magnifying glass and scrutinize the fine text on the card.

• Copyright date – At the bottom center should be the original 1999 Nintendo/Creatures copyright line. This absolutely cannot be altered on a real card.

• Card size – Down on the left, a genuine card is labeled 2 5/8 x 3 5/8 inches. Fakes often list the wrong card measurements.

• Pokémon name – The name Charizard should have a ® symbol after it; fakes often forget this.

• Nintendo logo – Look for the proper TM or ® symbols beside the Nintendo logo in the bottom right. These are frequently missing or wrong on phony cards.

• Pokédex entry – Read every single word carefully. Fakes will sometimes have typos in the description text that originally came off the printing plates.

• Moves – The Energy symbols and text for Flamethrower and Fire Spin should be precisely printed. Blurry or misaligned text is no good.

Again, any tiny errors or deviations here would not exist on legitimate cards straight from the printers at Wizards of the Coast. While differences can seem subtle, they will jump out if you study high resolution images of authentic cards for comparison.

Evaluating the Holofoil Pattern

Now we move on to scrutinizing the iconic holofoil pattern that gives Charizard its shiny shimmer.

• Tilt the card at an angle under lighting to produce reflections off the surface. You should see a complex dotted pattern emerge on real cards. Fakes look blurry under magnification in comparison.

• Run a fingernail gently over the holofoil area. It will feel completely smooth on legit cards, while many fakes have a distinct bumpy texture from cheap imitation processes.

• Check that the holofoil effect extends cleanly into the card borders. On some fakes, it is missing or interrupted at the edges between art and borders.

• Wizards of the Coast applied the holofoil in sheets, so sometimes you can see vertical lines on real cards where the stamping connected from one card to the next. You won‘t find these printer‘s marks on counterfeits.

Holofoil pattern visible when tilting a real Charizard card

The holofoil application process is proprietary to Wizards of the Coast, so if the shimmer checks out under close inspection, it‘s a very strong sign your card came right off their printing presses in 1999.

Using Diagnostic Tests

There are also some specialized diagnostic tests that professional graders use to validate cards:

• Light test – Using a controlled light source, experts can shine light through the card and look for inconsistencies in paper density and color gradients. Fakes won‘t show the same patterns of light refraction.

• Black light test – Under UV light, the holofoil elements on legitimate cards will show unique reactions compared to fake foil from overseas printers.

• Rip test – Carefully tearing the card in half reveals a black middle layer on real cards made of two cardboard sections glued together. Fakes are often single-layered paper.

These non-destructive techniques require some special equipment and experience to fully leverage, but may be necessary if you need to conclusively authenticate a high value card.

Comparing Against Authentic Examples

At this point, we‘ve covered all the fine details experts analyze to detect fake base set Charizards. But it‘s essential to study images and videos of authentic cards online, so you can build a mental reference of exactly how the real deal should look.

Whenever you have a card in hand you want to evaluate, grab some high resolution pictures of verified authentic copies and make direct side-by-side comparisons. This visual matching will allow you to instantly spot any deviations from the genuine article. If something looks a bit off, it could be a sign of a scam.

I‘d recommend joining some reputable collector communities as well, so you can connect with trustworthy members who can examine your card and help determine if it‘s legitimate or not. The collective wisdom of experienced collectors can prove invaluable, as forgers are getting more sophisticated by the day.

Just Get It Professionally Graded

If you followed everything in this guide but still feel uncertain, remember you can always have your potential base set Charizard graded and certified by PSA, BGS, or another reputable service. Yes, it costs money to formally authenticate and slab cards, but it provides cast-iron proof of legitimacy for any future buyers.

The grading companies have seen it all when it comes to fake vintage Pokémon cards, and their expert evaluators will meticulously verify that your Charizard is the real deal before putting their seal of approval on it. So while the grading process is an investment, it brings peace of mind by removing any doubt and protecting the value of your rare find.

The High Stakes of Counterfeit Culture

For as long as Pokémon has been popular, rarities like 1st edition base set Charizards have been targets for counterfeiters trying to make a quick buck off unsuspecting collectors. Valuable cards get faked all the time, but the soaring price tags of PSA 10 Charizards reaching $300,000+ have made them a prime candidate for high quality counterfeiting operations trying to cash in.

But that‘s why you can‘t be too diligent when assessing a card‘s authenticity. Between visual inspections, diagnostic tests, comparisons to verified copies, and professional grading services, collectors have many tools to protect themselves against the faux Charizards flooding the market. It just takes time, patience, and learning to spot the subtle differences separating real from fake.

The thrill of the hunt when searching for these iconic slabs of cardboard is part of what makes Pokémon such a passion for collectors. Just remember that deals seeming too good to be true often are. But armed with the tips in this guide, you can avoid being scammed and land yourself a true Holy Grail card that will be treasured for generations.