Since the start of Magic: The Gathering in 1993, trading cards have since become a popular competitive game of choice. Ips such as Yu-Gi-Oh hopped onto the trend shortly after and are still popular all over the world, with new cards still be released to this day.
Living in the modern digital age has given way to online shopping becoming increasingly popular, especially with the recent pandemic. People are now flocking to sites such as Amazon for their needs, including trading card games, which is generally considered a safe site to purchase Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards.
However, purchasing trading cards on Amazon is not a flawless process. Read on to learn more about the legitimacy of buying Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards from Amazon, how to tell if cards on Amazon are fake, and the best websites for buying Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards.
Are Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Cards on Amazon Legitimate?
Most Yu-Gi-Oh players consider cards sold on Amazon as legitimate. It is rare to run into forged Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards on Amazon. For the most part, the card that is advertised on Amazon is likely to be the card you will receive.
Amazon is best for buying sealed, unopened packs of Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards. It is easiest to guarantee quality this way, as the cards have not been touched by anyone else. This can help players avoid issues with card condition, such as bent corners or tears on the cards themselves.
Players will face more issues with purchasing single cards on Amazon, as they are likely to be previously used and are not sealed. The trouble with selling and purchasing trading cards on Amazon is that users cannot upload photos, so it is hard to confirm the condition of cards.
Competitive players and collectors want their cards to be in good condition, especially their more valuable cards. The lack of visual aid when buying online means a higher risk of receiving a card in worse condition than promised, or paying more than what the card is actually worth.
Another issue with purchasing Yu-Gi-Oh cards on Amazon is that some third party sellers will open card packs ahead of time and remove the higher value cards before resealing the packs and selling them on Amazon. This can be hard to spot, as the pack will appear as if it is sealed.
Lastly, the biggest issues players face when buying Yu-Gi-Oh cards from Amazon is pricing. In comparison to other popular sites for buying and selling Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Amazon’s prices tend to be higher.
As trading card games can get expensive, especially for collectors, it may not be worth it to pay a higher price when combined with the fact that you cannot confirm the card’s condition visually.
To check the current price and availability of Yugioh Booster Boxes, click here to view the selection on Amazon.
How to Tell if Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Cards Are Fake on Amazon
Unfortunately, due to the lack of visual aids on Amazon postings, it will be hard to determine if the card is actually the item described. It is possible for the card to be in worse condition than promised, or for it to not be a foil when it is described as one.
Again, the chance of complete forgery is unlikely, but without photos, it is hard to fully confirm if a card is real. The best way to spot fake Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards on Amazon is by looking at the price.
As most trading card games are a costly habit, players want to get cards for as little money as possible. Scam sellers will prey on this and will post fake listings for unusually low prices in comparison to other cards. If you see a listing on Amazon with a price that seems too good to be true, it is likely a scam.
Lastly, always check the ratings and reviews of the seller. Other players are sure to share the good and bad of their experience with the seller. If others have received fake cards or cards that were not as good as promised, you will be able to sfind out in the review sections.
What Are the Best Websites For Buying Yu-Gi-Oh Cards?
Despite being an older and less popular site than Amazon, Ebay is a great website for buying Yu-Gi-Oh. Users are more likely to upload photos there, meaning you can get a better idea of the quality of the cards.
The website of choice for many Yu-Gi-Oh players is TCGPlayer. It is considered a good website especially for buying single cards. The benefit of TCGPlayer is that all sellers on the site are actual card shops. Additionally, they offer a guaranteed return policy if anything is amiss with your card order, from issues with quality to complete fakes.
The downside of TCGPlayer is that, similar to Amazon, they do not always have photos of the cards up. Although TCGPlayer does at least allow sellers to upload photos of cards, not all sellers choose to do so. This means there is still a chance of having issues with your purchased cards, although their return policy helps to mitigate these issues, which Amazon does not necessarily have.
Cardmarket is a great option for international players, as TCGPlayer unfortunately only ships within the United States. However, Cardmarket is not an option for players in the United States and is only available for international players.
Lastly, if you live near a local card shop and they have a website, you can purchase cards from them. They are highly unlikely to run scams or sell fake cards, as they are locally run. Additionally, many of them run trading card game tournaments and will have the latest releases available for sale, so you can buy, sell, trade, and compete with local players.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Amazon is considered a safe site for purchasing Yu-Gi-Oh cards. However, it can be hard to prove the legitimacy of cards since Amazon postings do not necessarily come with photos. Amazon is mostly known as a good place to buy sealed packs, but not single cards.
Ebay and TCGPlayer are considered better websites for buying Yu-Gi-Oh cards, both in packs and as singles.
TCGPlayer in particular has better customer service when it comes to issues with purchases, and all the sellers are card shops instead of individual users.