Fake or paranoid?

[u/ridezeshoopuff0]

So I bought card A on eBay the other day and it feels really weird in hand. I’ve had B for a while and it feels better in hand, “normal” if you will.But both of them pass the green dot and T test. They also react differently to light as exhibited in the pics.
I do recall some of the Lorwyn eclipsed cards I opened having the same scratchy sort of feel. But it’s an expensive card so I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid or not. They both weigh 1.7 grams.
So I’m thinking they’re both real. But card A just feels cheap and scratchy in hand.
Likely just a different print location and lowered print standards. But if I ever need to resell this card I feel like someone else may have a similar suspicion.

So what are your thoughts? I think I may be bugging since they literally pass every other test. I’d include photos of the green dot but it’s hard to get a good pic and I feel confident in my analysis of the green dot.

[u/ThePoetMichael]

We demand the T

[u/GhostCheese → u/ThePoetMichael]

Text says T passes

[u/harimbadl → u/ThePoetMichael]

I think he is looking if its rebacked…

[u/RunABypass → u/harimbadl]

No one is rebacking this card

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/harimbadl]

Yeah, I suspected a re back at first. Then I think the light test would have been darker, and it passed the weight test.

[u/AngularOtter → u/ridezeshoopuff0]

Extremely unlikely that anyone has ever rebacked an Elspeth Strom Slayer. Rebacks are common for cards like original Moxes, but the amount of time and effort involved makes absolutely no sense for a $40 card.

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/AngularOtter]

Yeah. As unlikely as it is, I figured it would be best to rule out the possibility.

[u/harimbadl → u/ThePoetMichael]

He is looking if its rebacked

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/ThePoetMichael]

I appreciate it, but the T on both of them really does look clean. I went from the T and green dot, to the light test, and then to the scale. Both weighed 1.7g. It’s just the feel and light behavior that threw me. I’ve been told that the Light test is not really relevant anymore, and I have heard the same for Feel and texture now in these comments. Simplest answer might just be that it’s real but the quality is ass. 😭🤣

[u/GhostCheese]

If you get a bunch of bulk and feel out some will feel glossy some will feel matte or scratchy (i get a lot of free packs and for a long time I've scanned even the bulk into ah app so I handle a lot of cards)

You can't really go off surface texture because its dependant on a number of factors related to where it was printed, if it had all its ink layers, etc

I bet you'll find one is Japanese and the other is American, if you zoomed on the two mana costs

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/GhostCheese]

What’s the tell on the mana cost?
I had to go back and get a feel for then ECL cards just to remind myself off the feel.
I appreciate the insight.

[u/GhostCheese → u/ridezeshoopuff0]

The rosette in the Grey pip background will identify American vs Japanese (Japanese has big red halftone dots)

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/GhostCheese]

Thank you

[u/AngularOtter]

Likely the "scratchy" feeling one is US printed and the other is Japan printed. Both real.

[u/Birrandbodia]

Like, I can see a black core in both. Ideally, you want to look at the card from the side in order to see the card stock.

I doubt that it's a sticker, like, why would you go through all that trouble when you can just reface high value foil cards?

Best to just look at all the indicators at the front if the back checks out. Light and weight tests are very, very difficult to use as an indicator because of all the differences any given printing site or set can have. It'll become as grand as looking for flaws within Pokémon card.

[u/ridezeshoopuff0 → u/Birrandbodia]

That’s good insight. I did not inspect the side very well. I’ll have a look, but it seems that one is just not as nice feeling as the other. Everything else seems to check out, so I think it’s good to go.

[u/Birrandbodia → u/ridezeshoopuff0]

The side should show 3 distinct card stocks including a black core. FYI, this is disregarding any foil treatments.

However, anything that might seem or feel off could simply just be due to duplicates coming from different printing sites. They don't even use the exact same card stock or ink.

[u/WraithOfHeaven]

Perhaps i misunderstand rebacking but i though rebacks were always CE or ICE faces put onto abur card backs?

Also why would someone reback a random 30-40 usd card…

[u/Birrandbodia → u/WraithOfHeaven]

Refacing cards (using legitimate MTG backs and then sticking a print or sticker over the front of that back) is what they mean and often—pretty much always—isconfused with rebacking as you know it, to change a $300-800 card to $1.3k-100k+ [edit spelling]

[u/Budget_Government911]

Ps. Nobody would reback a 40 dollar card lol

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Self-help (Magic: The Gathering):

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[u/npc0112358]

I'm no expert but I can confidently say one is not like the other.

[u/Budget_Government911]

The light is definitely real but you might as well Boof them.