How to Spot Recarded Action Figures

Assess the Card

• 1

  Identify the action figure's card backing. Use a collector's guide book or on-line action figure guide to make sure the artwork depicted on the card is the original artwork featured at the time of the figure's release. If it's not, the figure may be recarded.

• 2

  Run your fingers over the surface of the card. Most action figure card backs are smooth and glossy. Low-quality cardboard may be a sign of a recard.

• 3

  Check the print quality of the card using a magnifying glass. Visible dots, lines or pixels may indicate a custom-printed recard.

Assess the Bubble

• 4

  Hold the action figure's plastic bubble up to the light. Check for fingerprints on the inside of the bubble packaging. Inside prints indicate tampering with the package.

• 5

  Look for any dirt, hair or foreign elements inside the bubble. Figures in their original packaging should not have these elements, as they have been assembled in the factory under stringent conditions.

• 6

  Observe the seams where the bubble meets the card. Identify any imperfections.

• 7

  Check for signs of glue around the bubble's seam. Even if the glue is clear, you should be able to detect it under the seams of the bubble, using a magnifying glass.

• 8

  Check for double-sided tape securing the bubble to the card. This almost certainly indicates a recarded figure.