Counterfeits -- anyone having issues?

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think eventually this will be a worse problem than alteration.

I collect a few things besides baseball cards. Among these are cards from a TCG called Magic: The Gathering. Within that sphere, counterfeits are plentiful. However, it's not a "problem" for collectors with a basic idea of what to look for.

Counterfeiters, at least in this space, don't appear interested in perfection. They seem to instead focus on fakes that will dupe the average collector. Then they let the presses run. Kind of a "high quantity, mediocre quality" model. I'm guessing they make the most money with this approach.

Ultimately, I think the whole counterfeit vs. detection game will play out in much the same way as locks vs. lock-picking has. The counterfeits will refine their techniques, technology will evolve to detect the fakes...wash/rinse/repeat.