Japanese booster box: real or fake?

You rarely spot a counterfeit Japanese booster box by its shrink wrap, but you can by the print inside and the crimps of the packs. This week two Inferno X (M2) displays were on our table: one factory original and one that turned out not to be. From the outside both looked fine. Below we show where you do see the difference, with our own photos.

How this ended up on our table

A collector came by with two Inferno X displays. He didn't trust one of them. Together we laid them side by side and looked at everything under a digital microscope. The difference was clear: one display was factory original, the other was not.

We are sharing this because it can happen to anyone who buys Japanese boxes. The shrink wrap looked tight and the barcode matched. That is exactly why it pays to know where else to look.

1. The black on the inner flap

When you open the display, you see a black flap on top with the set logo and a QR code. On the genuine display that black is deep and even, with sharp white letters. On the fake it was a washed-out grey, flat and dull. You can see that difference without a magnifying glass.

Inner flaps of two Japanese Inferno X (M2) displays side by side: deep black print versus washed-out grey print — The inner flaps side by side. Look at the black: deep and even on the genuine display, washed-out grey on the fake.

2. The crimp of the packs

The crimp is the pressed-shut edge at the top, the bottom and the seam on the back. On a genuine Japanese pack it is pressed tight and flat, with an even orange colour. On the fake the centre seam on the back was not rolled properly: wavy, bumpy and pinkish red instead of orange. Side by side the difference is big.

Back of two Inferno X booster packs with different crimp and foil — The back of the packs. Left genuine: tightly pressed orange centre seam. Right fake: a wavy, bumpy seam that was not rolled properly.

Back of Inferno X booster packs with barcode and centre seam — The back of the packs. Left genuine: tightly pressed orange centre seam. Right fake: a wavy, bumpy seam that was not rolled properly.

Front of two Japanese Inferno X (M2) booster packs, one above the other, with differences in crimp and print — The front. Top fake, bottom genuine. Look at the text ポケモンカードゲーム on the left: thick, blurry and smudged on the fake. The colours of the Pokémon logo differ too.

3. The halftone dots under the microscope

Print is made of tiny dots. Under a cheap digital microscope (around 20 euros) you can see them. The original print had a tight, regular dot pattern with sharp edges. The fake was coarser and more irregular, with ragged letter edges. Compare, for example, the red text ポケモンカードゲーム on the pack. On the fake it is already thicker and blurrier to the naked eye; see the photo of the front above.

Microscope image of the halftone print on a Pokémon display — The same bit of print on both displays under the microscope. Notice how regular the dots are.

Microscope image of the halftone print on a second Pokémon display — The same bit of print on both displays under the microscope. Notice how regular the dots are.

Microscope image of red Japanese text on a Pokémon booster pack — The red letters on the packs: look at how sharp the edges are.

Microscope image of red Japanese text on a second Pokémon booster pack — The red letters on the packs: look at how sharp the edges are.

4. Colour and print of the box

If you put two displays of the same set side by side, look at the edges and the sides. The colours and the sharpness of the illustration were slightly off on the fake. On its own a small colour difference says little, because genuine print runs differ too. Combined with the points above it is a clear signal.

Two Japanese Inferno X (M2) displays one above the other, difference in colour and print at the top edge — The top edge of both displays: colour and sharpness of the illustration differ.

5. The barcode proves nothing

Both packs had the same JAN barcode, starting with 4521329, the code of The Pokémon Company. Counterfeiters simply copy it. A matching barcode therefore rules nothing out. A barcode that does not match, however, is an immediate reason not to buy.

What this means for the cards

The cards themselves were genuine. That is exactly how this trick works: genuine cards, with the valuable ones taken out, go into counterfeit packs and a counterfeit display, with new shrink wrap around it. Checking the cards for the blue core layer will not help you here. Look at the packaging.

How to protect yourself

Film your opening without interruption, starting from the closed shrink wrap.
In doubt? Stop immediately. Don't open another pack or a second box. Keep the wrap, the box, the packs and the cards.
Compare with a pack you know is genuine, ideally from the same set: crimp, colour, print and weight.
Buy a complete case if you want certainty. It is sealed by the factory as a whole.
Buy from a shop that guarantees it. With us, you get your money back if a box turns out not to be factory original. How that works is explained in the Seal Guarantee.