How Do I Spot Fake Wayne Gretzky Rookie Cards?

Image Quality

• A poor quality image is often a sign of a counterfeit, which can lose 20 percent of the picture quality, says the Wayne Gretzky Rookie Cards website. A card is likely to be a fake if the image looks heavily pixelated to the naked eye.

Print Dot

• The original O-Pee-Chee rookie card has a print dot on Gretzky's shoulder. Check for this yellow mark.

Cut Edges

• Original Gretzky cards were cut using a process that generally left at least one side slightly ragged. Perfectly crisp edges on all sides is a sign of a fake.

Indianapolis Racers Card

• According to the Puck Junk website, a fake rookie card was released in the early 1990s showing Gretzky as a member of the Indianapolis Racers. Gretzky, however, never appeared in this World Hockey Association set, and no official set was ever released by the Indianapolis Racers.

How to be Sure

• The Now Batting 19 Sports Cards website recommends buying cards already authenticated by a reputable grading service -- particularly important if buying cards for the first time.