I came across a Youtube video where a chap claims to show the difference between real and fake Bicycle decks. Are fakes really so prevalent? If so, is there any easy spot?

Because the USPCC, owner of the Bicycle, Tally, Aviator and others can make cards cheaper here than anywhere on the word, the 807s and 808s and the like are rarely counterfeit here. What you do find counterfeit here are expensive decks, and gaff decks.

As a case in point, I desperately wanted a few of the discontinued eLLusionist Gaff decks used with the Army of 52 Project. The only place I could find them was overseas. I believe it was Malaysia. I ordered 4 decks at about $23 a deck. When I got them, the faces matched, but the color on the backs did not match traditional Bicycle. The back printing was also not up to USPCC Standards.

I decided to keep them, since I can easily split them in two and put real Bicycle.

What I see a ton of on eBay is $230 DVD Sets, aka Daryl's Encyclopedia 8 DVD set, for $65-70. Also from Malaysia, this guy is ripping of L&L and the others big time.

The problems is, only the copyright holder can get eBay to stop them. Someone like myself cannot.

Thanks for your reply, Lempereur. I had wondered, but, these things do make you panic!

I can certainly see the sense in the bad guys ripping of more expensive decks as they are getting a bigger hit, I guess...

Pirate dvds and before that vhs have been the bane of collectors for some time and will continue to be for some time, no doubt, as we are in a rapidly more digital age where copying software and hardware is commonplace. I had 10+ years of hell trying to enforce the trademark on my old punk band's name when Facebook etc hit.

Well, at least I can rest easy no one is ripping me off with bricks of fake rider backs